Abysswalker
by VaranFall
Summary: The Savage: an alien race hell bent on wiping out humanity. And the only way to fight them is an advanced weapon system enhancer known as a Hundred. But even with such advanced weaponry, there's only so much that humanity can handle before a Savage can overpower them. But humans learned of a greater power, one that could destroy the Savage, but will take in return. The Abyss calls.
1. The Child of a Knight

"Dad, why do I have to go to Hayato's today?" A young boy asked as he looked up to his father. The boy appeared no older than eight, his skin tanned from the time he's spent outside. He had bright silver hair going down to his ears, completely messy like he had rolled around for hours, and dark blue eyes.

His father, a man who was just entering his forties, looked over to him as he finished putting on a silver gauntlet. He stood at an imposing 7'5, appearing all the more dangerous with his full body silver armor, a blue cloth wrapped around his shoulders. Much like his son, he had silver hair several shades darker and several inches longer in contrast to his son's, and bright red eyes that seemed to almost glow. "I told you Artorian, I got a call of important business. The Kisaragis were kind enough to offer watching you under such short notice."

"Are you going to go kill something again?" Artorian asked, getting his father to pause as he reached for his helmet. The boy didn't understand most of what his father did, but he knew that usually by the end of the day he was killing a Savage, an insect-like alien race that's been attacking humanity for almost two decades. Among the few phone calls he had heard, the words that have stood out to him were "Savage" and "Slayer".

His father hummed softly as he looked down to his son, turning from his helmet and kneeling down to Artorian. "Yes, I've been informed that a few Savage are going to be crashing a few kilometers away from Yamato. So I was chosen to lead the team to take them out when they land. And while I'm gone I want to make sure you have company. So would you mind staying with the Kisaragis?"

"Will you be back?" Artorian asked, getting a soft smile from his father.

The armored man gave a small kiss to his son's forehead, standing up after giving him a gentle pat. "I promise I'll be back in two days at the latest." Artorian had learned of his work just a year ago, and ever since then he's had to make a promise every time he left. It was a tradition that they unfortunately had started.

Artorian looked down sadly, not wanting his father to leave again so soon after his last mission. His father noticed this, and reached down to rub his head, smiling as he looked down to him. "How about when I get back we go visit that one parfait shop you love so much?"

"D-Do you mean it?" Artorian asked, getting a chuckle from his father.

"Of course, you should know better Artorian. I'm not a liar."

After their talk, the two prepared their walk to the Kisaragi Residence. Artorian's father was sure to grab his helmet on the way out, along with his weapon: a massive silver greatsword. The sword was about as big as him, yet even then he showed no trouble carrying it as he grabbed the hilt and rested the blade on his shoulder. As they walked through the streets of Yamato, just about everyone the two passed looked to the heavily armored man, not able to decide if the imposing armor or massive sword was what should take more attention.

It was something the pair were used to, the need of the equipment being so often there was fewer days that the man didn't need it then when he did. While he carried the gear, he tucked his helmet under his armpit, the blue plume hanging down and blowing in the wind.

Within ten minutes of their walk, the two had reached the Kisaragi Residence, a simple house with two floors. Artorian's father was the one who knocked, actually having to duck slightly while on the porch. The sound of two pairs of footsteps were then heard, following the door sliding open. On the other side were Hayato and Karen Kisaragi, Artorian's two friends with near identical features aside from Hayato's red eyes and Karen's violet.

"Artorian!" The fact the two were excited to see him brought a smile to Artorian's lips, the three all hugging as if they hadn't seen each other in years. Although they all looked similar in age, Artorian was actually a year older than Hayato, and two older than Karen.

"Oh Artorias, you're here early." Hamaki Kisaragi, Hayato and Karen's mother, said as she approached the four from inside. She had long black hair and red eyes, her age somewhere between her mid to late thirties.

"Yes, I'm sorry about that." Artorias said as he looked up from the kids, making sure to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling. "The Gudenberg family is in town and now Savage are being reported to land in the distance, so my team is being deployed early in hopes to take care of the threat immediately after landfall. I'm sorry about one thing after another coming up like this, it must be annoying."

"Nonsense." Matsuda Kisaragi said as he came. The man had short black hair and violet eyes, appearing similar in age to his wife. However he stood at a closer height to Artorias, although the armored man still had more than a foot over him. "You were always helping me back then, even when it completely dragged you out of you and your dad's training. Whatever you were doing you dropped to help, so don't think for a second this is annoying to us. And besides, it's always fun seeing the three play."

"I can only imagine." Artorias chuckled before he knelt down to the three kids. In his armor, Artorias had scared Karen, leading her to hide behind Artorian. "Now Artorian remember, I won't be gone for more than two days, so I don't want to hear you did anything reckless. Be respectful, generous, and most importantly…"

"Don't do anything you wouldn't do." Artorian finished, getting a chuckle from his father as he ruffled his hair.

"You're going to be a wonderful man one day." Artorias said as he put his helmet on, obscuring his face. "Try not to have too much fun while I'm gone, I don't want you spoiled for when we go for parfaits-!" As he stood up, Artorias hit the back of his head on the ceiling, wincing as he leaned down again. "Darn it."

The clunking of his helmet caused the whole group to laugh, even Artorias joining in at his own mistake. The farewell was brief, but even then to Artorian it could've possibly been hours. Times with his father, even when he was leaving, were the best times for the boy. And any second he had seeing his father was able to give him the hope that he'd stay, to choose his son over his work. And although the day still hasn't come, he knew it'd happen. His father could only kill aliens for so long.

* * *

"So there's more Savage coming?" Hayato asked, him and Artorian playing with cards while Karen watched. "Aren't we supposed to evacuate if they land nearby?"

"Nah, there's nothing to worry about." Artorian smiled, putting down a card with a 7. "My dad's going to be there the moment those things land. They won't even know what's going on before he cuts them into tiny bits."

"Man, it must be cool being a Slayer." Hayato groaned, putting down a card with a 4. "I bet your dad gets to see all kinds of places just on his regular missions."

"Do you think he's gone out of Japan ever?" Karen asked, getting Artorian to put his cards down.

"I don't remember everywhere he's been to, but I think he went to Gudenberg once. Then I think he had some business in the United States of Liberia, and one time something about something in a place called Rora once."

"Does your dad tell you about what he does?" Hayato asked.

Artorias shook his head in response. "Not too much, just the stuff about the Savage or the one time he acted as a bodyguard for some king or something." Artorian then looked down, hugging his legs to his chest. "Dad says I'm too young for him to tell me everything. But I don't get why when he told me about the Aby-"

"Ehem!" Matsuda coughed as he approached the kids, stopping Artorian from finishing. "Artorian, I thought your father told you that because you promised you wouldn't tell anyone?" The realization caused the boy to clasp his hands over his mouth, Hayato and Karen both giving annoyed looks to their father.

"Dad, why did you interrupt?" Hayato whined.

"Yeah, Artorian was going to tell us something cool about his dad!" Karen added.

"Sorry, but there's just some things about Artorias that can't be spoken." Matsuda said as he sat down with the three. "There's a reason he's such a secret to people. We're some of the lucky few that get to know him, and that's only because I met him before he became a Slayer."

"Mr. Kisaragi?" Artorian spoke up, looking up to the man. "What was my dad like before he became a Slayer? He doesn't like to talk about when he became one and he doesn't talk much about before."

"What was he like, huh?" Matsuda hummed as he leaned back on his arms, smiling as he looked at Artorian. "Well, the first thing I'd have to say was he certainly wasn't nearly as tall." He chuckled at his own joke, the kids tilting their heads in confusion in response. "Right, important stuff. Well, I guess where I should start was how helpful he would be. He could be in the middle of carrying a couch, but would drop it the moment you asked if he could stay for a second."

"He was also quite the lady killer back then. I'll tell you I don't think there wasn't a day when there wasn't some girl wanting to make a move with him. But he played it off flawlessly, even when there was only one he had his sight on." Matsuda would look at Artorian's eyes for a second before looking away, coughing into his hand at his blunder. "But anyways, the thing I remember about him the most was how strong he was. He needed to be too, considering how many fights he seemed to get himself dragged into. I swear he probably had broken his arm more times than anyone alive."

Artorian would look back down in response, holding his hands together as he thought. "Mr. Kisaragi, is it wrong that sometimes I feel like my father doesn't really love me?"

"Artorian?"

"It's just… he's always leaving on his missions, even when there aren't Savage coming he has to go for something. And then he always seems to look down when he stares at my eyes. Like I'm… not even there." Artorian began to cry, the tears building in his eyes as his vision shook. "I just… I want to know what I did wrong? Why does he always choose killing over… over me?"

"Hey, hey, don't think like that." Matsuda said, shifting over to put his arm over Artorian in a comforting gesture. "Your father does want to stay with you, I can promise you that every time he leaves it's the hardest decision he can make in his life. But deep down, he doesn't do it because he doesn't want to be around you, but because he wants to protect you."

"R-really?"

"Of course." Matsuda smiled, wiping Artorian's tears away. "Ever since you were born, the Savage haven't made it within ten kilometers of Yamato. All because your father put it upon himself to keep them so far from you that you would never have to worry about them. I know it can seem hard to believe, but everything he does is so that you can have a normal life."

"Daddy's right." Karen added, getting everyone's attention. "He's really scary, but you dad loves you. That's what all parents do, love their kids."

"Karen's right." Matsuda said, patting his daughter's head. "When it comes down to it, a parent will do anything for their child. Just like how anyone would for someone they love. But the one thing that you can be sure above all else, is that a father will protect their child to the end." Matsuda then smiled to Artorian. "When it comes, no matter the circumstance, Artorias will choose you above everything else."

* * *

Hours later, Artorian remained lying down in his bed, looking out his window in though. He had tried falling asleep, but after the first hour of useless staring at his roof, he knew it wouldn't come and was left watching the night sky. He had at first been nervous, but the moon's light was slowly soothing him. Along with the moon, he was slowly counting each star, passing the time as Hayato slept silently in the bed next to him.

As Artorian reached 50, he came across several stars that confused him. They were moving, all seeming to be nearby the other. What's more, he was noticing that they were getting bigger and bigger. It wasn't until one started to glow green that his eyes widened in horror, a loud alarm going off outside as he jumped off his bed. "Hayato! Wake up!"

"Mmmmm." Hayato groaned, turning away from Artorian as he slept. That led to Artorian jumping on his bed, making him fall off and out of the covers with a thud. "Ow! What was that for!?"

"We need to get everyone up!" Artorian shouted, opening the door and running to Karen's room. "Go get your parents, we can't stay here!"

"Artorian, you're starting to scare me. What's going on?"

"There's Savage coming!" The boy shouted, opening the door and going over to Karen. "Karen, Karen! You need to wake up!" He half shouted as he shook Karen, seeing her eyes slowly open up in response.

"Artorian…? Is it morning… already?" The girl asked, groggy from having suddenly been woken up.

"No, but we have to go." Artorian responded, helping Karen up before getting down. "Come on Karen, get on my back."

"O-Okay…" Karen yawned as she listened to the boy, getting on his back so that he could carry her piggyback. Once her arms were secured around his throat and he had a decent hold of her, Artorian ran out of her room and into the family room.

"Artorian, Karen!" Hamaki gasped as she, Matsuda and Hayato emerged from their room.

"We have to get to the emergency shelter! Savage are coming!" Artorian explained, his words only half registering for Karen because of her tired state.

Hearing both him and the sirens, the two adults knew that the aliens were coming, flipping a switch in them as they went full parent mode. "Okay, then we have to move quickly." Matsuda said, the five all going to the door, knowing it would be pointless to try and change. "Remember, stay close to each other, and don't let anyone separate too far before-!"

The man's words were cut short as a tremor went off, followed by an immediate explosion of green energy. The explosion went off just as Matsuda had opened the door, and as a result the blast caused a massive shockwave that sent them all back, tearing down the front of the house like paper. In the few seconds it took, Artorian instinctively readied himself and took the brunt of the impact for Karen, twisting himself to make sure that when they landed he was on the bottom.

The impact hurt, but Artorian was the farthest away and was able to push himself up. His vision was blurry, and he could feel a warm liquid going down his face after standing.

"Ahhhhh!" The explosion had easily woken up Karen, and her scream pierced through the numerous explosions going off and shook Artorian out of his daze. When he turned back to the front of the house, he gasped in fear as he saw the damage, the entire ceiling seeming to have collapsed. He couldn't see anyone in the rubble, but Hayato had caught his attention to his side.

As he ran over to check on him, Artorian sighed in relief as his friend was getting up, somehow managing to avoid getting as injured as him. "Hayato! You're okay!"

"What… happened?" Hayato asked, rubbing his head as Artorian helped him up.

"The Savage landed, I don't think we have much time." Artorian answered, readjusting Karen on his back before going to the rubble. He gave a preemptive wince before stepping onto the top, feeling slinters enter his foot in the first step. "Dad showed me where the shelter is… we can get there if we… hurry."

"Where's mommy and daddy?" Karen asked.

Artorian looked back to her, a trace of blood dripping out of the rubble at the corner of his eye. "I… I don't know. I think they might've gotten blasted somewhere away from us. I'm sure we'll find them at the shelter."

"It'll be… okay Karen." Hayato winced, following Artorian through the rubble and onto the road. The two boys shared a glance, their solemn eyes telling the other that they knew exactly what had happened to Matsuda and Hamaki. But neither said a single thing as they began to make their way through the city, having to navigate through the destroyed territory.

It was a terrifying sight to see, the Savage had only been attacking for what felt like minutes but the city was already in flames. Artorian didn't know how Savage worked, but he knew there had to be big ones to have caused so much damage so quickly. Which meant they had to stay off the roads to avoid them. They wouldn't be able to fit into the back alleys in Yamato, paths that Artorian and Hayato could barely recall ever going to.

The smoke in the air wasn't helping either, keeping the three from being able to move too far without having to stop and avoid breathing in smoke to recover. After they seemed to be clear enough, Artorian had placed Karen down to her feet, holding her hand as tightly as he could with his. As they would run, he was sure to avoid dragging her, but had to pull her a bit to make sure she kept up with him and Hayato.

When they had finally made it to the halfway point, Artorian began to slow down and direct them towards cover beneath a bridge. Once they were beneath it, all three collapsed in exhaustion, their lungs feeling ready to explode from all the running they did. It's been two hours, but it's only felt like minutes to them from the adrenaline pumping through them.

The Savage had also been causing pure chaos, the damages to the buildings unlike anything the kids could never imagine. It was utterly demoralizing, but even then the kids would try to keep moving. "We… have to keep… going…" Artorian gasped, slowly pushing himself up as he tried to summon some strength.

"Artorian… I'm tired." Karen cried, her voice weak from the smoke and her dried throat.

The boy kneeled down to Karen in response, forcing himself to lift her back onto his back. "It's okay Karen… I can… carry you again. Just… be my eyes for me… okay?" Karen gave him a nod in response, leading to him looking over to Hayato. "Are you ready… Hayato?"

"Yeah… I'm good." He responded, pushing himself up to follow Artorian. As they started with walking across the bottom of the bridge, Karen's ears perked as she heard crying other than her own, her head rising up to look straight ahead.

"Karen?" Artorian asked, feeling the girl shift on his back.

"There's… someone there." She answered weakly, pointing ahead to the end of the bridge. The two boys shared a glance with each other before walking forward, the two taking it slow before they could hear the crying themselves.

The source was a girl with silver hair and green eyes, sitting at the edge of where the bridge ended as she cried her eyes out. She was young, likely around the same age as the siblings, seeming closer to Karen's age then Hayato's. "H-Hey, are you… okay?" Hayato asked, getting a tired glance from Artorian.

' _You did not just ask that.'_ Artorian thought, sighing in exhaustion as the girl looked up to them.

"I… I think I am." The girl replied, sniffing as her tears fell down her face. "I was separated from my parents and… I don't know where to go. We just… got here for my dad's meeting."

' _Meeting?'_ Artorian thought, remembering his dad bring up something about a meeting between Yamato and Gudenberg over something. And while it's been awhile, he remembered his father saying something about a princess. "You're from… Gudenberg. Aren't you?"

"Y-Yes." She replied. "My name's… Emilia Gudenberg. And my dad brought me here so that when his meeting started he could have my bodyguard watch over me."

"Your bodyguard lives here?" Artorian asked.

"W-Well one of them does. He's watched over me before, but I haven't seen him for a year." Emilia explained. "He looks scary at times, but he's really nice when you get to know him."

Before anyone could say anything else, another tremor went off, causing Karen to scream in fear and clutch Artorian tighter. "We… can't stay here." The boy said, looking down to Emilia. "Are you able to walk?"

"I… I think I can."

"I know where the emergency center is. We're going there now." Artorian told her, holding a hand out to her. "I'll get us there, but I need you to keep up with me and Hayato, okay?"

"I won't… slow you down!" Emilia declared in determination, getting a smile from Artorian as he helped her up.

"Then we need to go." The four then began to make the trip once more, managing to stay out of sight as they took each alleyway they could find. For most of the journey from there seemed to be going smoother, but they could still feel faint tremors from the Savages walking, meaning they were getting closer to them.

After all the running and dodging in the alleys, all four of the kids were completely exhausted and filthy, soot covering most of their bodies from the fallen debris. "We're almost there." Artorian informed as he slowly walked towards the edge of a wall, peeking around the corner to see if there were any more back alleys.

When he saw rubble blocking off the next alley, he bit his tongue in anxiety. They were less than a 200 meters away from the shelter, but they'd have to run right through the street in order to progress any further. And with the growing frequency in tremors, he could feel that a Savage was close by.

"Do you see anything Artorian?" Hayato asked, confusing Emilia as she looked past his shoulder.

"Your name's Artorian?" The silver haired girl asked, getting a nod from him.

"That'd be it, but we got a problem." He responded, turning back to them. "The next couple alleys are completely blocked off or destroyed. The only way to get to the shelter from here is to go straight down the middle of the street. There isn't too much rubble, so we shouldn't have to worry about maneuvering."

"But we'll be in the open." Hayato argued.

"I know, but maybe the Savages won't be focusing on us. They tend to search for groups, the larger the more they search. If we're lucky, maybe a bigger group is trying to get there now and will be distracting them."

"Artorian, that's horrible." Karen said, getting Artorian to look down.

"My main goal is to get all of you to safety. I can help them, but I can get you all out of here." He then looked back to Karen, giving her a sympathetic look. "I know it's wrong, but I don't want you or your brother getting hurt. And it might be the only way we'll make it out of here."

Karen didn't protest, although the thought of having others distract a monster while they ran felt horrible. So much, she was just about ready to puke. And after not getting any more arguments, Artorian stood at his full height and readied himself. "We're going to have to sprint, we can't afford to stay here any longer than we already have. When I say go, you run as fast as you can and don't look back. Okay?"

"Yeah." Hayato nodded, Emilia giving a silent yes for an answer.

"Alright." Artorian whispered, taking a calming breath as he got himself ready. "Three… two… one…" Just as he got ready, he felt a tremor go off, screams filling the air as it did. "GO!" At his shout, the three standing ran as fast as they could, running down the road for their lives. They knew that if they stopped for even a second, it could mean the end of them. And it'd honestly be an insult to die so close to the shelter after the effort they put to get there.

Despite carrying Karen, Artorian had got there first, getting down the stairs to the underground shelter. Hayato followed just behind him, seeing his friend put Karen down gently and lay her against the wall. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Y-Yeah…" Karen responded, sniffing as Artorian wiped the dirt off her cheeks.

"I know it was scary, but it's over now. You and Hayato are safe." Artorian smiled. "We're all safe now."

"Emilia's missing!" Hayato shouted, shocking both Artorian and Karen, the former standing up at the news.

"What!?"

"She's not down here!" Hayato explained. "I think she might have tripped or got stuck!"

"Damn…" Artorian cursed under his breath, running for the stairs past Hayato.

"Artorian, wait!"

"Keep an eye on Karen!" He shouted back, running himself up the stairs as fast as he could. "I'll go and get Emilia!" Artorian didn't even wait to hear Hayato's response as he went up, his senses feeling like they were being dialed from ten to a hundred. It only took him a second to find Emilia, seeing that her leg was trapped under a fresh pile of rubble.

' _The last tremor!'_ He mentally kicked himself, realizing just how far back she had been caught. She was probably shouting for them as they ran, his focus on his friends keeping him from seeing her fall behind.

He ran faster than he ever had before, clearing the distance to Emilia with speed he didn't think he had. He was there so quickly that he was already reaching down and trying to lift the rubble off of the girl before she saw him. "Artorian!?"

"Sorry I… left you." Artorian groaned as he tried to lift the rubble, wincing as he felt the skin on his hands burn and cut. No matter the amount of strength he put in, he couldn't manage to get the rubble off, but even then he kept trying while ignoring the blistering pain. "It won't… move!" Both his and Emilia's eyes then widened in horror, the tremors from before returning and getting more powerful.

' _It's getting closer!'_ Artorian thought, clenching his hands hard against the rubble as he doubled his efforts. He could feel it begin to shift, but even then he was barely able to get it to budge. _'At this rate, I won't be able to get her out in time!'_

"Artorian!" Hayato shouted as he ran up to the two, shocking his friend as he knelt down to help push the rubble, positioning his shoulder underneath it. "The Savage is getting really close!"

"You idiot!" Artorian shouted, you were supposed to stay with Karen! There's no telling how much time we have!"

"Then we better hurry!" Hayato argued, getting Artorian to grunt and look away. He simply didn't have a choice anymore, but he now had three reasons to get the rubble off Emilia.

And with the two both working together, they were able to lift it enough to give Emilia room to move. "Now… while we can still carry it." Artorian said through gritted teeth, blood now dripping from his hands after getting several cuts.

Emilia was able to get her leg out to allow them to drop the rubble, but as she tried to get up she immediately fell back down. "I can't move!" She cried in fear, seeing her bloodied leg.

"It's okay!" Artorian assured as he and Hayato moved to help her up. "We can carry you back over to the shelter. There's nothing to worry about." He then saw Emilia and Hayato's faces slowly devolve into utter horror, causing him to sweat in fear as he felt a massive tremor. Turning around, his expression turned to the same horror as the others, seeing a Trenta-class Savage now between them and the shelter.

A Trenta Savage was easily over twenty meters tall, the top of its smooth black and green shell passing over most of the buildings that were still standing. The pair of eyes then stared at them with focus, the alien's massive claw slowly rising as it readied a swing. Just as it brought it's claw down, Artorian released Emilia and put himself in front of both her and Hayato. When the Savage's claw hit the ground, all of them were caught off guard at it hitting from behind and causing Artorian and Hayato to all fly in separate directions.

When Artorian stopped skidding back, he was able to stand back up, although he felt his entire right arm go numb, even more of his blood going down his face from getting a deep cut just above his eye. He stared in terror as he saw Emilia between the Savage's claw, the alien having grabbed her when it slammed down. In a surprise amount of courage, Artorian clenched his teeth and ran towards the Savage. "Let Emilia go!"

As Artorian charged at it, the Savage raised its other arm up, preparing to squash him with a quick swing. But even then, Artorian continued to run and even rear his fist back, not backing down from the alien. Just before the Savage could crush him, the Savage was stunned as a silver blur crashed right into it, causing its legs to back up from the impact.

Artorian stared up in shock as he saw his father, fully armored and glowing with a violent black aura. His left arm was extended out, his greatsword in his right as he managed to punch the Savage without trouble. "Don't you dare go near my son!" Artorias bellowed, swinging his sword and cutting the Savage's claw that was holding Emilia clean off. The Savage's bright green blood flew like a geyser, the Slayer not even reacting as he opened the claw and grabbed Emilia, landing on his feet just in front of Artorian before the claw even touched the ground.

Artorias then turned to his son, slowly lowering Emilia to the ground as he hiked his sword over his shoulder. "Artorian, you need to get this girl out of here now. The Savage is stunned but it won't be still for long."

"But Hayato got hit!" Artorian shouted, pointing over to where Hayato was knocked over to.

Artorias looked over to see the downed child, cursing under his breath as he stood back up. "I'll have to kill the Savage before getting to him. Artorian!"

"Yes!?"

"Don't die." Artorias simple said, his aura growing in size as he jumped up, easily reaching the max height of the Savage. He then spun in the air horizontally, bringing his greatsword down with so much force that he caused the Savage's head to crack, the inside's core being exposed from the single blow. Without even recovering, Artorias flipped over his shoulder before stabbing into the alien's core, cutting right through it like it was nothing.

As the beast began to fell, Artorian looked down to Emilia before gasping in horror. The girl had a massive cut going down her abdomen, the Savage's blood from when Artorias cut the claw off having seeped into the wound. He didn't know much, but he knew how deadly a Savage's blood could be, and that her chances with the amount in her wound would be lethal. She'd be dead in minutes, if she weren't already with her near corpse like stillness.

He didn't even think as he began to try and suck the blood out, remembering that his father taught him the same thing with a snake's venom. If it worked with venom, then it should work with a Savage's blood all the same. Right?

When the Savage finally collapsed, Artorias pulled his sword out and turned to Artorian, freezing as he saw not only Artorian drinking the Savage blood but also two more Trenta Savages approaching. "Artorian!" Rushing at blinding speeds, the Slayer was able to get between his son and the Savage, seeing them open their mouths and reveal the built up energy.

As he held his sword with both hands, ready to take on the blast of both Savage, he was caught by surprise as the one to his left fired first. The beam of green energy flew right by the three, leading his attention to see as the beam went towards where Hayato was trapped. "Hayat-!" The second beam then crashed into him, ripping his focus away back to the alien in front of him. The force had caused his left arm to snap back, a sickening crack heard as he held his sword strong with his right hand.

When the beams finally went down, Artorias let his right arm rest down as his left hung limply. His armor was damaged, the left shoulder armor completely blown off and several parts being cracked. His helmet took the most damage, two open gaps revealing his glowing red eyes and blood soaked mouth. He was breathing heavily, blood coming out with every exhale he released.

"This isn't good." Artorias panted, slowly lifting his sword back up to rest it on his shoulder. "I took too much damage with that direct attack. If I don't play my cards right… it'll take over and I won't…"

"D-Dad…" Artorian's voice cut through to Artorias, the father turning back to see his son. Tears were building up in his eyes as he held Emilia, Savage blood dripping down his lips while the remaining seeped into the girl. "I… I couldn't get it all." Even in the dangerous situation, Artorian was thinking of everyone else, his hold on Emilia tightening as he allowed himself to cry. "I don't know… I don't know what to do. Where's Hayato? Why did everything go bright?" Artorias didn't respond to the question, causing the tears to freely go down his face.

"No… Hayato…" Artorian whimpered, causing his father to flinch, his whole body tightening as his child began to cry. "But we… we did everything right. Why did he… WHY!?"

Hearing his son bellow in agony caused a wire to snap in Artorias, his eyes brightening impossibly as they exploded in red light. A dark, more sinister aura covered him. The calm yet terrifying presence had completely enveloped Artorias, the only parts of him being visible were only his glowing eyes and damaged armor.

"You know what? Fuck it." Artorias swore, standing back up to his full height as he looked up to the two Savage. "Fuck the self control, fuck holding back. Let it consume me, I want to let loose and kill every last one of you." His voice was ominously calm, as if he wasn't standing in a suicidal position. "Artorian, take Emilia and get back to the shelter. I'll buy you all the time you need."

"But dad-"

"Just listen to me!" Artorias shouted, scaring his son silent. "The Abyss is already starting to chip away at my mind. I don't know how much longer I can hold it before my mind collapses." He explained as the two Savage's began to approach. "Get to the shelter and make sure Emilia gets treated. And watch over Karen, she'll need you after everything that happened today."

"But… but what about you?"

"I made a promise, didn't I?" Artorias smiled, tightening his grip on his greatsword as he spoke. "I'll come down there and get you two out, and then we'll go for parfaits like I said we would. I'm sure we can find some place to serve us somewhere outside of Yamato."

"Dad… please don't die!" Artorian shouted as he slowly picked Emilia up, carrying her bridal style as he began to run forward.

Artorias could only give a bittersweet smile in response, shooting out and slamming his sword into the right Savage's abdomen. "Of course Artorian! Just move!" Just after attacking, he jumped off the Savage and twisted in the air, avoiding the second Savage's claws before cutting down, splitting it right down the middle and killing it. And when he touched the ground, he dashed backwards and blocked the surviving Savage with his greatsword behind him, protecting Artorian as he just ran past.

Seeing his son run away, Artorias could feel his conscious fading further away. Closing his eyes, he'd hold the Savage back as several more began to approach, all different sizes. "I'm sorry Artorian… I don't think I'll be able to keep my promise. Please, live a full life for me. And don't end up the same battle hungry fool as I was, scum that would choose a fight over his own family. And please, learn from your mother and I."

Once Artorian was out of sight, Artorias' head snapped up, pushing the Savage's claw away before he lunged at one of the approaching Savage. "Come on!" He shouted as he impaled his sword right through the Savage's armor and core, ripping his blade out to cause the blood to shoot out violently. "Which one of you will be the one that will finish Artorias of the Abyss!?" The Slayer would then ready himself as two Trenta Savage readied an energy attack, a crazed, bloody grin going across his face as his eyes glowed brighter.

"Come, damned creatures of destruction! Give me a rhythm to dance to!"

* * *

Hours passed before the military opened the shelter doors, and when they did Artorian ran past them at surprising speed. Looking around as the sun shined in his eyes. "Dad? Where are you!? Dad!?" Artorian's frantic search would come to a halt as he saw his father slumped against a fallen Trenta-class Savage, surrounded by over a dozen soldiers while his eyes glowed violently.

"Dad!" Artorian cried as he ran for his father, getting stopped as a soldier grabbed him. "What are you doing!? Let me go! That's my dad!"

"Kid you can't go near him!" The soldier warned. "That man's been consumed by the Abyss, he's killed five of our men already."

"What?" Artorian gasped, looking back to his father to see a horrible sight. Several cut up bodies lay around Artorias, his damaged sword soaked in both human and Savage blood. Some time during the fight, Artorias' greatsword had broken. An uneven shatter close to halfway down the blade had been made, the once shining and beautiful blade now broken and stained. His armor had done no better, entire chunks of the silver metal now completely missing or stained in the Savage blood. "Dad!"

"Kid stop!" The soldier ordered, surprised as Artorian began to fight against his hold. "If you get too close to him, he'll kill you! Even if he's your father he won't hesitate to rip you apart!"

"No! He! WON'T!" Artorian screamed, his eyes glowing red for a split second as he broke free from the soldier and ran to his father. "Dad!"

" _ **Rrrrrrgghhhh…"**_ When Artorian got close, Artorias raised his head up, a primordial growl the only thing that escaped his mouth.

The growl scared Artorian, but he gulped his fears down and slowly walked towards his father. "Dad, please… you can't give up. You promised me that you'd come back, that you wouldn't let it take you. Please, don't go." When he had gotten close enough to his father, he was scared out of his skin as Artorias released his blade and reached out, grabbing his neck violently and lifting him into the air.

All of the soldiers readied their weapons as Artorias stood his full height, everyone looking in horror at his mutated state. The Slayer now stood over 9 feet, black shadows and liquids escaping from the missing chunks in his armor. And as he held Artorian, his eyes appeared hollow, no signs of life past the red haze.

"Dad… you're… hurting me…" Artorian choked, grasping at his father's hand as he struggled to breath. Artorian was holding him tightly, his fingers slightly digging into the skin and causing blood to drip down. And as he saw the complete loss in his father's eyes, Artorian could help but cry again, giving up as he felt his vision blur. "Dad… please…"

" _ **Rrrrgh…"**_ Artorias growled, moving his head close to look into Artorian's eyes. The red haze glowed brighter for an instant, before it slowly began to dim. _**"Ar…tor…ian…"**_ The Slayer choked out, his windpipes tight and barely functioning. A shred of humanity then reentered his eyes as he looked at his son, lowering him to his feet before releasing him.

Artorian fell to his knees and gasped for air, coughing as he tried to regain his senses. "D-Dad?"

" _ **You… safe…"**_ Artorias growled as he fell to his knees as well, his form still towering over his son. A small smile formed on his lips as he slowly raised his hand, running his fingers through Artorian's hair in a familiar caress. _**"I… kept… safe…"**_

"Y-Yes, you did." Artorian cried, smiling up to his father as he leaned down. "Karen and Emilia are okay as well. They got Emilia to someone who could help her and I… I stayed with Karen like you told me too. Now let's… let's go to her and… and…" As he slowly began to cry and cry more, Artorian could feel his control fade as Artorias kissed his forehead, pulling away to collapse back against the Savage.

" _ **Lied… gone… together… barely…"**_ Artorias gasped, his eyes dimming until they turned to blue, the same exact as Artorian's. The Slayer then gave his son a single smile, the last of his strengths vanishing. _**"Good… proud… you…"**_

The life then left Artorias' eyes as he exhaled one last time, his entire body going limp as he passed on. Tears now fell free from Artorian, who desperately hugged himself to his father as he cried his heart out. "Dad? Dad… Dad… Dad… Dad… Dad… Dad… Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!"

The boy cried and screamed, clutching his fathers bloodied and mutated corpse unlike anything he ever had before. And as he did, not a single person had the heart to approach him. No one could even watch the sight as the blood from Artorias slowly seeped and stained Artorian.


	2. Little Garden

"Thank you for your time, we'll send in your Hundred results to the Little Garden by the end of the day." An elderly man said as he guided a twelve-year-old boy and his parents out back into the busy lobby. The building was a Hundred testing facility, where they would evaluate and measure a person's compatibility with the weapon system.

Given the nature of the equipment, most applicants are around twelve to sixteen, with the development between being key in predicting the person's connection with the equipment. Being a Slayer these days was much more complicated, and with the users being younger, the training would have to be more through than with the previous generation back in the early days of the Savage invasions.

"Would a… Art-orian please come for his testing?' The man asked, looking at his clipboard for the next applicant's name.

In response to being called out, Artorian stood up at full height, drawing the attention of the entire lobby as he did. Ten years have passed since Artorian's father died in the Savage attack, and in that time he grew to a staggering 6'5. Over the course of the years, his physic had improved greatly as well, appearing similarly built as his father had before his mutation. He had bags around his eyes, clear signs that he hadn't been getting much sleep. He wore a loose white shirt and blue pants, a simple outfit for an otherwise special appearance. "That would be me, and it's pronounced Are-tore-ian." He spoke, reaching the man.

"O-Oh, uh… my mistake." The man stuttered, intimidated by Artorian's imposing appearance. "P-Please, follow me to the testing room." He would direct Artorian, the two walking through the hall before entering his room. "Please, take a seat, Mr. Artorian." Artorian would do so as instructed, shifting a bit as he tried to get comfortable on the examination bed, a pure metal base with little to comfort.

Turning on a holographic computer, the man would scroll through the hundreds of forms that were submitted, stopping when he found Artorian's. He'd then read through it, rubbing his chin as he did. "So, Mr. Artorian, I can see that you've kept yourself rather healthy. And I can see you've passed all the academic courses needed to apply for the Hundred test, even if just by a few points. But what made you wait so long? With the information I've gathered, you should have tried to come here when you were younger, perhaps when you were fourteen?"

"I never had the drive to." Artorian answered honestly, confusing the man as he looked back to him. "I didn't have an interest in becoming a Slayer, in fact right now the idea of becoming one isn't the way I planned on spending my life."

"Really now?" The evaluator asked, turning back to his equipment and typing on a console. "Then why volunteer for this line of work if it doesn't interest you? I'm unaware if your Hundred score will be enough, but even if it was there's little point to becoming a Slayer if you don't want to."

"Let's just say I have a promise to keep, and the only way to keep it is by becoming a Slayer." Artorian said, refusing to speak any more on the subject.

"I see… well I can understand from that viewpoint." The man responded, several mechanical arms popping out of the examination table. "I was once a Slayer as well, one of the few that had lived long enough to retire. Although that's mostly because the original Slayer project's enhancements damaged us to an extent we couldn't continue for long. A few were acceptations, but most of us could only serve as Slayers for five years."

"Right, back before the Hundred was created." Artorian spoke, his dad lingering in his head. "There were other methods than the synthetic enhancements, but those were likely worse off than those that suffered internal damage."

"Ah, you knew about them?" The man hummed, looking back to Artorian as a hologram appeared in front of him. "Could you please put your hand on the hologram? It'll determine where the best place to draw your blood is."

"You need to draw blood?" Artorian questioned, although not hesitating to put his hand on the hologram scanner.

"Of course, blood is the main identification for the Hundred to draw from." The man explained, the hologram vanishing while the arms began to move. "With how unique they can be, the blood of the users is the key ingredient in determining compatibility." The arms then all clasped around Artorian's head and shoulder, shifting his neck to stretch to the left, a needle slowly being readied at a vein. "I'm unaware of how compatible you'll be, most who apply after the age of sixteen have rather low scores, considering their body is nearing maturity and the inclusion of a Hundred isn't as subtle."

The needle then pierced Artorian's skin into his vein, drawing blood from him slowly while the other arms kept him still. "But you are well above the average male for your age, so you're physic might provide a better handling for the Hundred if you prove compatible." When enough blood was taken, the needle was taken out safely and the hands released Artorian, allowing him to rub where he was punctured.

The vial that held the blood then disconnected from the needle, allowing the man to grab it. "And now, we have it interact with our systems, and we'll get a read on just how compatible you are with a Hundred. This will only take a second." He said as he placed the vial onto a stand, several tubes rising up and connecting to the glass. The blood then slowly drained out and went into the man's desk, several holograms popping up and running through more data then Artorian could follow.

It had only taken a few minutes before all of the data had been compiled. And once it was done, the results appeared across all the screens. "Well, that's a rather unique outcome." The man said, grabbing one of the holograms and going over it. "Well then Mr. Artorian, it looks like you've managed to pass the compatibility test rather well. You have a compatibility rating of 79%, that's above the average for testers at the age of 15."

"Is that really good though?" Artorian asked. "79% leaves a portion that would make it still fail. Over a solid fifth to be precise."

"Oh, you misunderstand sir." The man responded. "The compatibility isn't a matter of you being able to activate a Hundred. It simply demonstrates how much of the Hundred's power you'll be able to draw out. You'll have no problem with activating your Hundred, in fact you'll do better than most of your fellow students. You're rating actually matches up with the average second-year student at Little Garden."

"Well, I guess that is good." Artorian muttered, standing up as he kept rubbing his neck. "So is there anything else I have to do right now? Any after test stuff before I submit everything in to the Little Garden?"

The man shook his head in response. "If you already have a prior agreement with them you shouldn't have anything to do here. A representative will be by to receive the information and from there they'll contact you."

"Thank you." Artorian nodded, walking to the door and taking a step out before the man spoke up again.

"You're aware of what you carry, correct?" The man's question caught Artorian off guard, as he paused through his step. "I recognize your eyes, and I know where I've seen them before. From my old commander back at the early days of the Savage invasion. The fool who took the biggest leap into the madness of humanity. Did he tell you?"

"…He told me when I was five." Artorian responded, walking out and closing the door behind him as he did. He missed the man's heavy sigh, and refused to look back as he walked back to the lobby. From there, he stepped right out and exited the building, looking to his right for his sword. His sword was his father's old blade, the damaged and broken greatsword still serving the purpose as his main weapon.

The damage was just as it was before, as Artorian hadn't done anything to it other than clean it. He wanted to keep it as it was, serving as a reminder of what his father was in the end. Picking the sword up, he rested the blade on his shoulder before he started to walk, his destination the hospital that was a few miles away.

* * *

"I'm back." Artorian announced as he maneuvered through a hospital room door, avoiding hitting the edge of the frame.

"Artorian!" Karen cheered as she looked to him, sitting up on her hospital bed to greet him.

A few months after the Savage attack, Karen had contracted a potent virus. Known as Severance, it was an air-born virus from a Savage's vanishing energy that had a random infection rate among humanity. Most times it would do little, nothing more than a simple cold that would disappear after a week. But due to Karen's age and weakened state when exposed to it, she lost all feeling in her legs and became extremely weak. Her body appeared frail, much thinner and less developed then she should be at her current age. But even then, her hair managed to grow to a long length, and she was able to smile despite her state.

Because they had both lost their families, the local hospital had accepted her and would give her treatment. Severance had no cure, but if treated the severe cases wouldn't cause any pain. But now that Karen was reaching the age of 16, the disease would begin to take effect in a manner that they wouldn't be able to treat. Which had lead Artorian to take a desperate measure.

"Hi Karen, sorry I took so long." Artorian responded, placing his sword against the wall as he sat down in a chair next to her. "You wouldn't believe how long the wait was at the place. I swear there was way more people checking for this kind of thing than I was expecting."

"How did it go?" She asked, looking intrigued as she leaned closer to him. "Were you able to pass? Are you able to actually use a Hundred?"

Artorian nodded in response, smiling as he patted her head. "Yep, I'm compatible enough to pilot and use a Hundred if I wanted to."

Karen would beam in joy as she heard that, sighing in bliss as he ruffled her hair. "That must be so cool, knowing that you can use a Hundred. I can only imagine how it would feel to use one. All the freedom and movement you must be able to achieve while having it activated."

"I'm sure the experience would be amazing for you." Artorian would say as he wiped some of her hair out of her face. "But for right now, I think we should focus on getting you the best care that we can give you."

The mention of her care brought a frown to Karen's face, as she looked away in disappointment. "Does that mean you're going through with joining Little Garden?"

"I know you didn't want me to, but we're in a difficult spot right now." Artorian would explain, using his thumb to keep her hair out of her face. "Your Severance is entering its final stage, and the equipment here simply can't accommodate for all the complications it could have on you. Little Garden has the technology to make that you'll be better than you are right now."

He then put both his hands on her cheeks and turned her face back to him, placing their foreheads together as he continued. "My father didn't want me to become a Slayer either, but I made a promise to protect you for as long as I breathe. I didn't come to this conclusion right away, but I can't think of any other possible ways of keeping you healthy."

Feeling his hands on her face, Karen closed her eyes as a sign of complete trust. "You have to promise me to visit every day you can. And I expected my special reward every time you have to leave from our visits."

The demand caused Artorian to chuckle, shaking his head as the two separated. "Twist my arm why don't you? You're going to throw everything you can at me to feel as guilty for this as possible, aren't you?" When Karen refused to respond while pouting her lips, he'd roll his eyes before placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

She would open her eyes and smile in response, seeing Artorian stand up after giving her her reward. "When will we be moving to Little Garden?"

"If I remember the deal I made with the administrator right, you'll be moving out in a few hours." Artorian answered, picking up his sword. "As for me, I have to wait for a day to get my uniform. From there, I'll be flown to the ship some time around noon."

"We aren't traveling together?"

"I'm afraid not." Artorian shook his head. "The students at Little Garden are going to be brought in tomorrow for orientation. But once that's done, I'll come a visit you in your new room, sound good?"

Karen would smile once again, nodding once as she looked up to Artorian. "You better not break that promise."

"I'll be there as soon as I can." He then reached his free hand into his pocket, rummaging around it as he took a more serious expression. "I need to go make a call, I'll see you tomorrow Karen."

"See you there." Karen responded as Artorian walked out.

Once he was out, he would pull out his phone and go to his recent calls. Seeing "Judal Harvey" at the top, he selected it and put the phone to his ear. The phone had only rung three times before Judal answered. _"Ah, Artorian, it's good to have to calling again. To what do I owe this honor?"_ Judal Harvey was a 25-year-old man, and head of the Warslran Research Facility.

"Cut the shit Judal, you know exactly why I'm calling." Artorian spat as he started to walk down the hall, ignoring all the stares at his sword. "You made the offer that if I joined your Slayer group on Little Garden that Karen would get top of the line care."

 _"Of course, I am a man of my word."_ Judal stated, his tone calm and professional. _"Karen Kisaragi will be treated with the most up to date technology Warslran has to offer. She'll feel healthier with us then she ever had in her time with Severance. That was the offer I gave you when we had met a week ago."_

"Don't even try to make it like you gave me a choice." Artorian growled. "We both know you've been planning to recruit me ever since I turned twelve. Karen's Severance hitting a critical stage just made it easy for you to twist and manipulate me." Artorian's hostility came straight and simple, as he didn't trust Judal for a second. He was a man of war, someone who was uncaring and focused only on his end goal. He played Artorian like a game of chess for the past six years in waiting for him to have to become a Slayer.

The man would only chuckle in response. _"Your friend will be getting proper medical treatment, when she very well should've died a long time ago. I believe my offer is more than fair considering that much."_

"Utter another word about her and you're dead." Artorian stated with hatred. "Just send someone to get Karen, or there will be hell to pay."

 _"With a threat coming from the great Artorias' son, I would expect no less. Our team will be there for her within the hour."_

"Good."

 _"Oh and Artorian."_ Judal added in, just before Artorian could hang up. _"We will be expecting a lot from you. It will be under your best interest to not let us down when the time comes."_

Artorian wouldn't even give him the satisfaction of a response, hanging up just as he stepped outside of the hospital. But even then, Judal's warning carried over the message that he had planned. If Artorian didn't keep up his side of the deal at all, or on the likely chance he would die as a Slayer, Karen would be all alone.

And Judal wouldn't have a reason to keep her treated.

* * *

"What's with the special treatment?" Artorian thought to himself as he sat in a private jet, wearing the uniform that was provided to him. He had seen that the students were all given top quality planes to ride to Little Garden, but they would be transported in dozens at a time. He was the only one given his own plane, something that he felt more of a spit on him than a compliment.

Although at the same time, it gave Artorias more time to prepare himself for when he'd be unable to avoid crowds. He was never a fan of them, but because he was just another face among them it made ignoring everyone easy. But at Little Garden, all of the students are going to be training to become Slayers. Which meant that all of them would know of Artorias' name, and in return be aware of who Artorian was.

And even if by some miracle they didn't know exactly who Artorian was, there was no doubt in his mind that when their training began he'd be pulled into the spotlight. No matter what way he looked at it, Artorian was aware of his chances of remaining just another face would be pointless, so he'd have to find a way to leave a mark on not to be bothered with.

When the plane finally landed, Artorian reached to his side and grabbed his greatsword before standing up. Little Garden was a massive battleship that could serve as it's own city, capable of holding over 10,000 students and staff. But even then, it was well designed to fit the needs of everyone on board, with naturally grown grass, trees and all sorts of plants growing at the established areas. It made sense, as the ship would serve as the Slayer's home and main base.

He was deep in thought as he began to walk out, going down the retractable staircase on the side before he heard someone call out his name.

"Artorian!" Looking towards where he heard his name, he visibly cringed as he saw two girls standing on the platform above to his right, a banner with "Welcome Son of Artorias" plastered on it in bright colors. The words alone were enough to get his eyes to roll, but what left a bad taste in his mouth was how the two thought putting that on was a good idea.

Sighing, Artorian's shoulders dropped before he walked into the open, looking up to the two girls. "Can I help you?"

"Ah Artorian! Welcome to Little Garden!" One of the girls cheered as she looked down to him, waving as she smiled. "We heard you were coming just a few hours ago! It's an honor to meet the son of Artorias!"

' _That shit again?'_ Artorian thought to himself as he stood with his greatsword resting on his shoulder.

"Would you like us to help give you a tour? We heard you were a late sign up."

"Yeah, sure… just let me try to find a way up there." Artorian rolled his eyes as he began to walk out of sight, completely ignoring them and heading towards the auditorium. He was more than aware of the layout of the ship that students were allowed to access, and even if he needed the guidance he didn't feel like putting the effort to leap up the 10 meters it would take to reach them.

"Now then, let's go and get this over with." He groaned as he started to walk, following the path on the map he had memorized. The building the orientation would be in was near the combat arena at the center of Little Garden's surface, meaning it was only going to be a couple minutes of walking before he'd make it there. The city on the ship as also surprisingly lively, with different year students all interacting and socializing among their peers.

' _Poor fools, probably don't even know their chances of survival once they leave this place.'_ Artorian thought as he continued to walk, feeling the stares directed towards him as he moved. Just like with his father, Artorian's impressive stature and massive weapon caught everyone's attention, an unavoidable outcome for him having the weapon close by. It didn't bother him any more now than it did back then, but now he was going through the stares alone.

When he saw the orientation building, Artorian would roll his shoulders in preparation, seeing the dozens of students waiting outside. "Well then, guess it's now or never." He muttered to himself as he walked towards the closest student. "Hey, this is where the entrance ceremony's taking place, right?"

"Hmm?" The student hummed as he turned around. "Oh, yeah this is the place." Now that he was close enough, Artorian realized just how distinct the student was. Like himself, the guy was tall and well built, leaner than Artorian but standing at the same 6'5. He had bright blonde hair and dark black eyes, the two contrasting against each other.

The student then blinked, as if noticing something about Artorian. But before he could speak up, a girl came running through the crowd, discovery on her face as she pointed up to Artorian. "Wait! Are you Artorian!? The son of Artorias Abyssal!?" The girl was significantly shorter than Artorian; in fact she was shorter than all of the students outside with them. She had chestnut brown hair and purple eyes, the bright colors going well with her rather loud voice.

At her calling him out, almost all of the students quickly realized just how similar Artorian looked to his father, even recognizing the damaged sword that was on his back.

"No way!" One exclaimed.

"He has the right hair and eyes!"

"And he's even extremely tall like his father!"

"Not to mention the sword!"

The students were then about to crowd around Artorian, but stopped as he impaled his sword into the ground in front of him. "Listen now and listen well, because I'm only going to say this once." Artorian warned, his eyes narrowed as he glared at the entire crowd. "Yes, my name is Artorian, and I am the son of Artorias Abyssal. However, you would do well to not affiliate myself with my father. I am not him and will despise each and every one of you that refer to me as "the son of Artorias" from this point on. I also do not do crowds; so don't even consider crowding around me in a barrage of comments and questions. And last but not least, do not consider touching me in any sense. Any attempt outside of sparing or through an unavoidable action will result in you meeting the edge of this sword. Are we clear?"

When no one moved any closer, Artorian gave a toothy grin before grabbing his sword's hilt. "Good, now that that's out the way we shouldn't have any further probl-"

"Artorian!" Before he could finish his sentence, a student who was coming from across the other side of the building shouted out to him and lunged at him. When they connected to him they wrapped their arms tight around Artorian in a hug, sounding ecstatic.

"Am I a joke to you?" Artorian questioned, suddenly questioning every decision that was made leading up to now. The impact from the student barely did more than make him budge, but the fact that a student was willing to try and tackle him was beyond what he could understand.

"What, are you kidding? I've been waiting for the opportunity to meet you!" The student stated as he looked up to Artorian, revealing their features. Long white hair that was tied back with a special diamond shaped hairpiece with a blue ribbon and bright green eyes decorated the near feminine face of the student, but by the sound of the voice they could very well be male as well. "The name's Emile, Emile Crossfode! Let's be friends, okay?" Emile grinned at Artorian, getting a blank stare in response.

 _'Emile, Seriously? That was the best you could come up with?'_ Artorian thought to himself, showing little reaction to the hug.

"Um, Artorian?"

"Huh? Oh yeah sure, whatever man." Artorian rolled his eyes, patting Emile's head before pushing him away. "Let's be friends and all that mess. Quick rule, no surprise hugs, it's weird." He then turned his attention to the crowd, hearing the murmurs going around as they looked at the two. "The hell are all of you looking at?" He questioned, ripping his blade out of the ground and resting it back on his shoulder.

* * *

"I'm sorry for calling you out like that." The girl who had shouted out Artorian's name, Reitia Saintemillion, apologized when they were in the building. Aside from her and Artorian, the blonde student Artorian first talked to and Emile were present, the rest of the students going around and socializing like they were before.

"I'm sorry as well." Matthew Ornisium, the blonde student, added in as he placed his hand on Reitia's head. "As the senior here I should have recognized that a scene would've sparked and stop Reitia here from shouting out like that. I made the mistake of thinking she was more mature than she was."

"Matthew!" Reitia protested as she moved her head away, glaring up at the boy. "I told you to stop treating me like a kid! You're only two years older than me!"

"Start acting your age and I might actually do that." He responded, crossing his arms as he looked down to her.

"Matthew moved to Liberia a few years ago and the two became friends shortly after." Emile explained, smiling at the two before wrapping his arms around Artorian's left arm. "They're really close, huh?"

"You said you're a senior?" Artorian questioned, ignoring Emile's clear violation of his "No Touch" policy but not doing anything to stop it. "I thought you're the same year as us?"

"Well, technically I am a senior here in Little Garden, but I've been participating mostly in combat rather than academics." Matthew explained. "This'll be my first year in an actual class so we will officially be the same year." He then took note of how calm Artorian was with Emile holding onto him, raising an eyebrow before commenting. "Not to pry into something that isn't my business, but you guys seem pretty close for people who just met."

"Yeah." Reitia agreed. "It's almost like you're not both guys."

Matthew then lightly smacked the back of Reitia's head, shaking his head as he rubbed his forehead. "Don't be rude Reitia."

"Really?" Emile chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. He played it off before looking up to Artorian, his smile remaining. "What should we do, Artorian?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to get a seat in the auditorium before they're all taken." Artorian said as he began to walk, seeing them letting students in now as the ceremony was about to begin. The four had taken seats near the back of the auditorium, Artorian sitting with his greatsword placed between his legs blade down. It was comical sight seeing the massive weapon being held while he was seated, but no one made a comment on it.

After waiting about ten minutes, two girls in blue versions of the uniform walked out on stage, heading to the microphone on the podium furthest to their left. "I would like to welcome all of the new students here. We will be your MCs for today. I am Erica Candle, second-year military arts student at the Little Garden and student council vice president." The girl with short brown hair and eyes informed. The only notable thing about her outside of her collected voice was her glasses, giving Artorian a vibe of a regular rule follower.

"Likewise. Liddy Steinberg." The second one simply introduced. Unlike Erica, Liddy had a much more defining and unique appearance to her. From her darker skin, green hair with a ponytail and framing her face, and matching green eyes she was much more identifiable. She also appeared more developed as well, likely from a less strict diet but more rigorous training.

"The captain of the Little Garden, as well as our president, Claire Harvey, will greet you." As Liddy set up the introduction, Claire would walk out and head for the center podium. Her hair was a bright blonde, tied back in a twin drill fashion that screamed attention. Her eyes were a surprisingly light blue, adding light to her face that was strict yet elegant. Out of the three girls on staged, it was more than notable she was the most developed, yet the air around her made it feel to most students that she was not to be messed with. She also had on a red variation of the student uniform, signaling her captain rank and third-year status.

"The student council president is also the captain of the whole ship?" Artorian whispered over to Matthew, who nodded in response.

"Claire's an extremely gifted and skilled individual, she's the strongest student currently enrolled here." He explained, whispering back to avoid being heard by the student council. "She also has the highest Hundred compatibility record to date, going up to 92%."

"That high, huh?" Artorian questioned. "She doesn't look that tough, not nearly as intimidating as her brother either."

"Trust me Artorian, she isn't anything to scoff at." Matthew warned. "I've gone on a few missions with her in the past, she's able to demolish most Venti-class Savage like they're nothing. Trenta can be a challenge but that's only if she gives them enough time to prepare itself for her attacks."

"Hmm." Artorian hummed, looking back towards the president.

"I'm sure she isn't nearly as capable as you though Artorian." Emile grinned as he patted his shoulder. "She might have a good Hundred, but there's no way she can compete with your physical ability."

"We'll see."

When Claire had finally reached the podium, she wasn't given any time to speak before the sound of the doors at the side of the auditorium opened, revealing the two girls that were waiting for Artorian at the airport. "Sorry…"

"Sorry we're late!"

' _Ah shit.'_ Artorian thought, now remembering that he had literally bailed on the two. Normally he wouldn't care, but he could tell from the tension in the air that something bad was going to happen.

"Late for the entrance ceremony, right off the bat?" Claire asked to the two, disappoint clear in her voice. "You two sure have some nerve."

"W-We're sorry!" The two apologized again. "We had gone to the airport to pick up Artorian Abyssal, but we're afraid he got lost on and went looking for him, and then…"

"Enough excuses!" Liddy interrupted. "Artorian has been here the whole time." She stated, pointing over to the student.

"Shit." He whispered, looking around his sword to look at the less than pleased student council members.

"Noa Sheldon. Liu Xuemei." Claire spoke, her stare cold as ice as she regarded the two. "There is no place in the Little Garden for those who cannot follow the rules. Collect your things and leave."

The news had surprised everyone in the room, starting a spread of murmurs over the immediate expulsion, aside from the student council and Matthew. Even Artorian looked down in slight shame over the news, feeling responsible for what was happening. But before he could even consider saying anything, Emile stood up and spoke out in protest. "I think you're being too harsh here!"

"Emile?" Artorian looked over to the white haired student, leaning over and stepping up to grab his shoulder.

"Student council president or not, you can't kick them out for making one mistake. That's awful!"

"That's enough Emile."

"No Artorian, I'm not done!" Emile ignored Artorian's warning, shaking his hand off and turning his attention back to Claire. "I can't stand people who abuse their power like that."

"You are in no position to speak out of turn like that." Liddy responded, calling out the protest.

"You're acting like they got someone killed or something, that isn't right!"

"Emile Crossfode… no, I will say this to everyone here." Claire picked up, the tension increasing further as the conversation went on. "You are not just students. You are fledgling Slayers that will risk their lives to fight the Savage. On the battlefield, a single mistake can prove fatal and destroy an entire squad. It is not a matter of frequency, failure to follow a single order will lead to death."

"But there are times when orders can be wrong!"

"That is enough, Emile Crossfode." Erica said. "Claire's orders are absolute. She is the queen of our military arts department."

"Queen my butt! Artorian's capable of doing way more than she could against a Savage."

"Hey, don't you bring me into your banter!" Artorian protested, pushing on his sword to stand up to his full height.

"Emile Crossfode, if you try to demean her any further, you'll be expelled as well!" Liddy warned.

"Bring it on!" Emile dared, shocking Artorian. "Just you try-!"

"Would you just shut up already!?" Artorian said to her, covering her mouth with his right hand while holding his sword with his left. "You're going to get yourself in more trouble if you don't keep your mouth shut!" Emile was fighting against his hold, trying to further his protest, but wasn't able to budge much due to their physical differences.

"Very well." Claire stated, pausing the two as they looked to her. "As you wish, you will be expelled along with the previous two."

That caused Emile to try and fight out Artorian's grasp more, screaming against his hand as he held him close to his side. "Stop moving around! Take a second to calm down and think for a second!"

"Artorian Abyssal." Clair called out to the student, getting his attention again. He released Emile in response, causing him to fall back down to his chair. "Do you object to their expulsion?"

"You're asking me?" Artorian muttered.

"Speak up."

"I didn't say anything… _you blonde bimbo_." Artorian responded, lowering his voice to less than a whisper for the last part before continuing. "And to be honest, I normally wouldn't have given a damn about anyone's expulsion, I didn't necessarily come here to make friends or watch out for everyone. However, I will say that I think your idea of expelling the three is complete bullshit."

The vulgar response got gasps across the entire room, even Matthew was caught off guard by it. "Artorian, what are you doing?"

"The two girls were late purely because I told them I'd meet them so they could show me to here." Artorian explained. "I already knew my way around from the map and the banner the two made put me in a bad mood, so I lied and they were waiting for me to show up when I was nowhere near them. And then Emile was just sticking up for them, something any respectable student would do in face of what they felt was an unjust punishment."

"So as my official and honest opinion on this: I'd say the expulsion is pointless and forgiving this one incident should be fair." He finished, glaring up to the student council president, who returned the stare with cold fury.

"Artorian, know your place!"

"Very well." Despite Liddy's response to him, Claire held her hand to silence her before continuing on. "How about this then?" The president then pointed out to the standing student, the tension in the room reaching its boiling point as she did. "Artorian Abyssal. I, Claire Harvey, challenge you to a duel."

"Eh?" Artorian responded, confused by the challenge.

"If you beat me, I will reverse their expulsion. We will duel tomorrow afternoon in the main coliseum." Claire detailed. "You will be given your Hundred early so that you may fairly participate, as well as your variable suit to properly regulate it."

"A duel, you must be kidding." He grunted.

 _'Right off the bat I'll have a duel with the president of Little Garden?'_ He'd think, weighing the options that he currently had. _'Whether or not I duel her, my position in the academy isn't in any danger, so Karen will still get her treatment for Severance. But if I don't duel or lose, then the three will be kicked out. And Claire isn't challenging me out of the idea of fairness, she knows our compatibility is far apart, and according to Matthew she has plenty of experience fighting with her Hundred.'_

Any way he looked at it, he'd likely be going through hell accepting the duel. He wouldn't admit it, but now that her attention was fully on him, Artorian could sense the pressure that was coming from her was surprisingly strong. She was confident, the certainty of her own skills matched towards how Artorian felt about his own.

But looking down to Emile, he didn't even think twice before he responded, pulling his sword up and throwing it into the air. The action surprised most of the room, Claire and Matthew being the only two not reacting before he reached up with his right hand and catching the handle, returning the blade to resting on his shoulder. "A duel against the Invincible Queen of Little Garden? Sure then, why the hell not? I'll play your game and we'll fight."

Twisting the blade around him, Artorian pointed the blade up to Claire, grinning as his eyes glowed for a split second. "Word of advice though: say my last name again and there's going to be trouble. Leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, especially when someone like you says it."

"Is that all?" Claire questioned, getting a nod from Artorian. "Very well then, our duel will begin at 1500 hours sharp. If you're late by even a minute then that will result in an immediate forfeit. Am I understood."

"Crystal."

* * *

 **(A/N): Well this came out extremely late, and all I can really use as an excuse is a lack of access to playing Dark Souls on my end. Recently moved and the lack of playing it has made writing this a little difficult. I have my Xbox back though so I can at least play the first Dark Souls, which should serve as a way of keeping me focused on this for a bit. Can't really say much else with how little is currently in this story, but I hope that everyone reading is enjoying what I currently have out. I'm hoping to get a few more chapters out, although it might take time since I'm putting time into my other stories/taking small breaks to rethink or plan out some of them. To those who were patient, thank you, and for any new reader I say again I hope you enjoy this story.**


	3. A Lesson a Hundred

" _"I think you're being too harsh here!"_ You said!"

"I'm sorry!"

" _"But there are times when orders can be wrong!"_ You said!"

"I'm sorry!"

" _"Go ahead and expel me, I'd love to see you try!"_ You said!"

"I get it Artorian, I'm sorry!"

"I don't think you do Emile! Otherwise you wouldn't have gotten us in this situation in the first place!"

"I wasn't thinking when it happened!"

"Clearly!"

After accepting the duel against Claire, Artorian was sent to meet the chief technical specialist on Little Garden to receive his Hundred. Emile had offered to go with him, as the route wasn't put on the map at all. They took a complicated path down under the main deck before getting onto the current elevator that they were on now. And with the time it was going to take to get down, Artorian decided it was the prime time to drill into Emile's head not to try and start shit with the student council.

"Artorian, I promise I'm sorry what happened! But please let me go it really hurts!" Emile begged, holding onto Artorian's wrists and trying to pry his hands apart. As soon as they were in the elevator, the boy leaned his sword against the wall to free up both his hands, pushing his knuckles hard onto the sides of Emile's head and holding him up nearly eye to eye.

"That's the point of the punishment you idiot!" Artorian glared as he grinded his knuckles into his scalp a bit. "You act like a knucklehead, you're gonna get knuckles introduced to your head! There was hundreds of better ways to handle that situation, and you chose the absolute worst one that I hadn't even thought of! The fuck were you thinking daring the student council president to expel you!?"

"I'm s-o-o-o-rry!" Emile cried out, his attempts to pry apart Artorian's hands making no ground.

"I just don't get what could have been running through your head." Artorian sighed as he stopped grinding his knuckles against Emile's head, just holding him up in the painful way. "For fucks sake, it was the first day even and you go and put so much trouble on my table for your arrogance on the situation." Looking at Emile's pained expression, he would sigh once more before releasing him, letting him land on his feet as he instantly started to rub where his knuckles were.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow." Emile groaned as he tried to rub away the pain, a single tear in his eye as he recollected himself.

"If our time here ends up me correcting all of your mistakes, we're going to have to rethink this whole "friends" thing you have set for us." Artorian warned, grabbing his sword and placing it back on his shoulder as he waited for the elevator to reach their destination.

"Sorry…" Emile groaned as he looked down. "It just didn't feel right to sit back and watch two innocent students getting punished so severely for just being late."

"You're virtuous, I'll give you that." Artorian admitted, shrugging as he stared at the door. "Just try to think before you speak out against someone with as much authority as the captain of a battleship. Because now I have to fight against the current top Slayer in this academy."

"Maybe, but you can totally beat her!" Emile stated, smiling up to Artorian as he pumped his fist. "I know you're way stronger than her, there's no way someone like her could even hold a candle to you."

"An interesting assessment when I haven't even used a Hundred before." Artorian commented, looking down to Emile. "Where exactly do you get the idea that I have a chance in a fight against the blonde bimbo?"

"Just call it a hunch." Emile winked back, smirking as he returned Artorian's stare. "That sword's more than just for show, and I know you're as tough as they come. I'm not even worried about you going up against the president."

"Guess we'll only have a clue after I get my Hundred." Artorian said, noting that the elevator stopped.

"Ah, we're here!" Emile grinned as the door opened. "Come on, Char's waiting for us!"

"Char?"

* * *

"It's a pleasure to meet you again Artorian." When Artorian and Emile entered the main lab, none other than Charlotte Dimandias; the lead developer of the Hundred and overseer of both Slayer Generations greeted them. She was very short, only coming up to around 4'5 making her a dwarf in comparison to Artorian. She had long lavender hair and dark golden eyes, her overall appearance making her seem much younger than how old she actually was. She had on a pair of glasses, likely to help after all her time within a laboratory and had a lollipop currently in her mouth, something most people would note as strange.

However, that didn't bother Artorian or Emile as the former reached out and shook the scientist's hand, his lips curling up into a small smile. "Charlotte, you're looking as busy as ever."

"Come now Artorian, you already know that you can just call me Char." She responded, the two separating after their brief handshake.

"Hold up, you two know each other as well?" Emile questioned, looking between the two. "I know why I know her, but how do you?"

"I've known Charlotte ever since I was little." Artorian explained, motioning down to around his hip. "She visited from time to time to check up on my dad's implants during his Slayer days."

"He was our most successful First Generation Slayer, Warslran spared no expense in having him treated correctly." Charlotte continued, taking her lollipop out to speak more clearly. "I was the one who put his implants into him in the first place, so I was the ideal pick. Of course eventually I showed up one day and there was this big guy crawling around."

"My father didn't let a lot of people into our house, so growing up with her visiting every other week made it clear she was someone I could trust."

"Apparently not enough to help look after you though." Charlotte reminded, pointing her lollipop at him.

"I was not going to burden you with my issues. I made it this far so clearly I was doing something right." Artorian responded. Before he continued, he had looked past Charlotte, realizing there was a fourth person in the room. A young woman with flawless pale skin, long ashen brown hair and vibrant violet eyes. She was wearing a strange maid outfit, several mechanical attachments connected to her covering her ears while also giving her cat ears and a tail even. "Hey Charlotte, who's the cyber cat maid?"

Before she answered, the woman approached Artorian calmly and leaned close to him, confusing him as she began to sniff around him. "Sniff, sniff, sniff." She'd go around him several times before going back to in front of him, looking at him with interest. "You're from the Empire of Yamato, but you don't smell like soy sauce at all."

"Is that what people think we smell like, or is this more of a you question?"

Charlotte would laugh in response, noting Artorian's slight confusion. "This is my assistant Meimei, and to be honest this place wouldn't run nearly as smoothly is she wasn't by my side."

"It's nice to meet you." Meimei smiled, holding her hand out to Artorian.

"Yeah, same here." Artorian shook back. "Any friend of Charlotte's is a friend of mine." As they released each other's hands, Artorian noted that out of the girl's that he's seen thus far, Meimei stood the tallest. She went up to his chin, setting her at around 5'10.

"You know, I'm a little surprised at you." Charlotte spoke as she sat down on her chair. "You were always so against ever using a Hundred before, but out of nowhere suddenly picked up all the paperwork and signed to be a Slayer. And the first thing you do when you get here is accept a duel against Claire Harvey of all people."

"Blame Emile here, he wouldn't shut his mouth." Artorian said, tapping the end of his hilt against Emile's head.

Emile rubbed where the metal hit him, looking over to Charlotte as he did. "News sure does travel fast around here."

"Well it's no surprise since LiZa told me." Charlotte responded.

"LiZa?"

"This autonomous computer that controls everything in Little Garden." Charlotte explained, motioning the two to look behind them. Artorian noted that the system appeared to be a bunch of cables and wires contained in a pillar of glass attached from the ceiling to the floor. "She can even express herself and communicate with people."

"This stuff is LiZa?"

 **"Correct"** Across the screens the word popped up, the voice sending a small chill down Artorian's back.

Before he could inquire on the fact how the AI breaks over a dozen UN laws, Charlotte tapped a combination onto her computer, a capsule popping out in response. Grabbing it, she'd open the container and pull out a blue crystal prism, the edges of the center contained by silver metal. "Artorian, this will be your Hundred. Since you're new to what they are, I suppose an explanation is in order."

Turning back to her computer, she'd type into her keyboard for a second before a video of a Savage popped up. "After the cancelation of the first Slayer project, the Hundred became the only effective weapons against the Savage." A chain then shot out from the edge of the screen, wrapping around the Savage and holding it still in place. When the video readjusted, Artorian was able to see that it was Erica who used the giant metal chain, wearing a strange purple skintight suit along with what he assumed was her Hundred. "However, only humans who respond to variable stones can use them."

Following the Savage getting bind, Liddy came running into frame right at the beast. She had a large lance and shield in hand, the lance glowing purple within the groves as she jumped up and aimed for the head of the Savage. When the tip of her blade touched the glass of the Savage, it began to spin rapidly like a drill, piercing through it and stabbing right into the core. The green blood shot out and stained parts of the girl's face, but she wasn't even fazed as she pulled it out and jumped away.

"As you know, these individuals are known as Slayers." Charlotte continued as Claire appeared on the screen, holding a uniquely carved variable stone before throwing it into the air. "The Hundred change into a vast amount of forms based on who uses them. That is where the Century Armaments, or Hundred, get their name from."

The green crystal then shattered as it glowed, the light shifting around Claire's arms and the space around her. Slowly, smooth red gauntlets formed on her and six advanced cannons floated around her, the energy within both and her variable suit glowing bright green. "Claire's Hundred is a dragoon type, where the floating canons around her follow her every will."

The blonde didn't even blink as the canons fired out green beams of energy, rocketing towards the Savage. The natural armor didn't even stand a chance against the energy as it blasted right through it, leaving six massive holes in the Savage before it exploded from the built up energy.

"She's strong, unsurprisingly." Emile noted, getting a side-glance from Artorian before he looked back to the screen, seeing several different types of Hundred being shown.

"The Hundred take different forms and vary in their ways of fighting." Charlotte detailed, Artorian seeing the countless potential Hundred their were; from dual lance arms to massive hammer fists to even a greatshield canon. "But there's only one ultimate goal: to protect humanity." Charlotte turned back to the three behind her, specifically looking toward Artorian. "Artorian, when you take hold of your Hundred, you will be entrusted with the responsibility of protecting those who cannot protect themselves." She then held the variable stone out to him, the blue crystal glowing faintly as it slowly reacted to him. "Are you ready for that responsibility?"

Artorian would look down in response, weighing over the question for a solid ten seconds before looking back up to her. "If I'm being perfectly honest, I don't feel that I'm able to think of protecting humanity." The response surprised both Emile and Meimei, however Charlotte didn't even react. "The safeguard of humanity was never of any interest to me, even now I don't really feel that much knowing others could die to Savage at any second." He then tightened his free hand into a fist, his eyes narrowing in determination. "However, Karen's life is dependent that I become a Slayer. So if it means keeping her safe, I'll take on the burden of all of humanity on my shoulders. The all of the creatures that would dare to harm them will be held at the end of my sword, as my father had done before me."

That response caused Charlotte to smile, the scientist handing the crystal over to him as he held his palm out to her. "That's the answer I was expecting. It might not be the most noble of motives, however when it comes to fighting for your life you'll want to fight for what you believe in. I have no doubt you'll be an effective Slayer."

Artorian would look down to his variable stone with a somber expression, feeling the weight of what he had now accepted. _'Hayato… I promise I'll do everything to protect Karen. I just hope you and your parents are patient, she won't be joining you three any time soon. And dad, I'll hold it back for as long as I can.'_

Seeing Artorian's expression, Charlotte would smile over to Meimei and Emile. "Hey, would you two mind waiting out in the hall for a minute? There's some personal data I have to go through with Artorian before he can practice with his Hundred."

"Oh, sure thing." Emile nodded, Meimei smiling for her response before the two walked out.

Charlotte then turned to her computer and tapped down on the speaker, cutting off all the connection to the outside. "How bad has the Abyss gotten for you?"

Artorian didn't even need to ask if they were private, knowing that the scientist wouldn't dare bring up the Abyss if she weren't sure of secrecy. "It's getting worse, the visions are becoming more intense every time I sleep. Based on the data you had for my dad, I'm pretty sure I'm at the same point he was when I was born."

"How long have you been awake for?" Charlotte asked, pointing out the bags around his eyes.

"About 507 hours now." Artorian answered, looking to Charlotte with a tired stare. "The longest I've gone without sleep was 25 days, so I'm getting close to that limit."

"Have you found a way of how to calm yourself after the vision's start?" She questioned, needing to know all of the information Artorian had on his own condition. She was well aware of how damaging the Abyss was on the mind alone, and even though going almost a whole month without sleep is bad for the mind as well, the influence of the Abyss was much more damaging. Artorian had his father's will, so the lack of sleep wasn't anything of a risk to him, however ever time he did sleep would start to impact him more, and potentially worsen his condition further.

"If Karen's there when I wake up I should be fine, but don't wake her up to treat me." Artorian responded. "Worse case if she isn't there I have to be restrained for about three hours, and have four Slayers that specialize in close quarters guarding the room I'm kept in. I'm at my weakest when I wake up, so with Hundreds they shouldn't have a problem containing me if I break my restraints."

"You'd rather be stuck with the Abyss manipulating you for three hours than wake this Karen up?" Charlotte herself never met Karen, however she knew from the last time she met Artorian that the girl meant a lot to him. So much he refused the idea of Karen even getting close to anything related to the Slayers.

"She needs as much sleep as she can get." Artorian smiled, putting his variable stone into his pocket. "She doesn't have nearly as much stamina as I do, the less sleep she has the weaker she gets. And while I'm sure the technology here can more than accommodate for her condition, I'd rather not give the Severance a chance to impact her more. So with all do respect, please don't wake her up for me, I can handle what the Abyss throws at me for a while longer."

"Need I remind you of just how dangerous the Abyss truly is?" Charlotte said back, giving a concerned glance to the boy. "We aren't talking about chronic nightmares, the Abyss is twisting your mind to use the visions you see to manipulate you. We still aren't aware of the full details or even what the Abyss truly is. Your father left us with very little to work off other than a rampant, uncontrollable soul."

"That's because that's all it is." Artorian stated. "What my father helped you tap into was the impure power that is broadcasted from the soul of a creature that was discovered by Gwyn. We still don't fully understand what it is, but we know that humanity and all creatures are affected by it. And to be honest what I do know is extremely limited to what my dad told me. Even he didn't know everything about what it is, he was just the guy that could handle it better than anyone else. Sorry Charlotte, but I don't have any other way of approaching the problem."

"Very well, I understand." Charlotte closed her eyes, feeling a wave of guilt over the boy's fate. "I'll be sure to set up the conditions you need for when you wake up." She then hid her sorrow under a smile, looking up to Artorian while waving him off. "Now you should go and test out your Hundred. I cleared out a training hall so that you can get used to the process of activating and controlling it. All you'll need before it is your variable suit."

"Variable suit?"

* * *

"What the hell is this crap?" Artorian groaned as he stood across from Emile in the training hall, a simple 20-by-20 meter circle arena with dirt and an energy barrier roof. Artorian was referring to his attire, which was a skintight suit similar to the one he saw the student council wearing in the video outside of a few differences. Unlike the girls, the male variable suits lacked sleeves to give their shoulders more freedom, and since he didn't have feminine hips he didn't require the opening on the upper inner thighs that the female slayers would need. Although he still had on similarly skintight gloves. His suit was silver at the center of his body, going from his neck down to his waist. The rest of it was all dark blue, matching his variable stone in almost every way.

"I know it's uncomfortable the first time you put it on, but the variable suit is essential to letting us Slayers use our full power." Emile responded as he motioned to his neck. His variable suit was of the same design as Artorian's albeit with a white interior and a black exterior. His fingers then tapped onto the glass screen at the base of his neck, matching the several other smaller sections around the neck, wrists, ankles and chests of both boys. "These right here are energy conduits, they allow us to transfer our energy better across our body. The main one at our necks also serve as our communicators so that we can stay connected on the battlefield."

"Do they now?" Artorian hummed as he tapped onto his own communicator. His was a dark blue that matched his suit, whereas Emile's was a light teal that resembled close to his green eyes. When he first put the suit on it was clear, so he could only guess that the conduits reflected the color of his energy.

After inspecting his conduits, Artorian would humor his curiosity and look to Emile's chest, humming as he crossed his arms. _'How did you manage to do that?'_

"H-Hey, watch where you're looking!" Emile responded, slightly flustered as he put his arms over his chest and turned away.

Artorian would chuckle in response, shaking his head before speaking. "What's the matter Emile, we're both guys here. I was just checking to see how built you were, your arms don't exactly bode the best of strength but you appear to have surprisingly developed pecks."

"What do you mean by surprisingly?"

"Nothing." Artorian dropped the subject right away, confusing Emile for a second.

"Okay… well, I guess we should start your training. You're going to need a lot if you're going to fight against the president." Emile picked up, reaching into his variable suit's pocket and pulling out his variable stone. "Calling out your Hundred is really easy. All you have to do is go "Hundred on!" and throw your variable stone. The and since you're compatible the rest will all work on it's own." As Artorian reached into his pocket for his variable stone, Emile chuckled a bit and rubbed the back of his head. "You might want to put your sword down for this, we have no idea what your Hundred will be and it could cause a problem in the transformation."

"No." Artorian simply responded, pulling out his variable stone. "This sword will not leave my side if I have any say in it. I even got special permission to carry it with me wherever I go, even in classes."

"It means that much to you, huh?"

"It's one of the last thing's I have of my father." Artorian said as he looked at his variable stone, looking at his reflection for a second before tilting his hand and letting the stone drop. "Hundred on." Although it was with little enthusiasm, Artorian's variable stone glowed before transforming, his Hundred slowly forming around him. Blue gauntlets and greaves formed on him, the smooth surface shining as they formed first. Soon after, a second greatsword of similar design to his father's sword formed in his left hand; and with it a pointed greatshield, reminding him of his father's old shield he used in the early days of the Savage invasions.

 _'You've got to be fucking kidding me.'_ Artorian swore in his head as he looked down to his newly acquired weapon and shield. The shield was hovering just over his arm, remaining connected by an energy link that had the shield parallel to his forearm; the shield's size causing it to go all the way up to his shoulder and past his hand. His new greatsword appeared to be just like his father's back in its prime, only the back end was glowing with blue energy, causing it to vibrate so quickly that it couldn't be felt. Both were bright silver, shining like they were freshly waxed.

"Whoa, no way." Emile stared in amazement before grinning widely, recognizing what Artorian's Hundred was. "You got the Hundred Wolf Knight! That's a rare chevalier type that has the best power-to-energy balance!"

"Is it really that special?" Artorian asked, looking at his new greatsword.

 _'It's lighter than dad's, but it still has a good amount of weight to it. And it even has the same full length that his was. Do Hundreds actually have set types or does it completely bend to what the user thinks?'_ He would cringe slightly at the futuristic and special appearance of his new sword and shield, the sight hurting his eyes in comparison to his old fashioned sword. _'Could've held back on all the bright lights and colors though.'_

"Like you wouldn't believe!" Emile grinned as he readied his variable stone. "The president's going to be in a whole lot of trouble now. And now that we know what you're Hundred is, I guess its only fair I show you mine! Hundred go!" Unlike Artorian, Emile was burning with excitement as he threw his variable stone up into the air, activating his Hundred. The first part of the hundred to appear were his thin plated gauntlets, the white armor matching his hair perfectly. And a second later, 20 strange plated objects formed behind him, all floating perfectly around him as teal energy glistened off of them. Taking a better look, Artorian could've sworn the Hundred resembled that of feathers, the 20 together taking the appearance of a pair of wings.

"And you say my Wolf Knight Hundred is a big deal, but I don't even know how to sense energy and I can feel the power coming off of yours." Artorian commented, smirking at Emile as he stood calmly in front of all the plated feathers, although the actual shapes didn't match the feeling they gave.

"Well, my innocence type Hundred is a little more special than other types. This one is known as Arms Shroud, and it has a lot of neat tricks that I can use." Emile explained, looking over to Artorian. "Now then, since you'll be up against the president, we gotta put you through the wringer for this training. So I say…" Four of Emile's feathers transformed into smaller versions of Claire's Hundred. "Let's do a trial by fire!"

"Ah shit, he can copy Hundreds." Artorian groaned as Emile's canons fired, the teal energy blasting right at him at high speed. When the beams reached him, he blocked three of them with his shield while using his father's sword to deflect the final, sending it into the wall. "Okay first, wow I barely felt the impact of those. Second, what the fuck Emile!"

"What?"

"Don't you "what" me you snow-haired prick!" Artorian shouted as he pointed his Hundred sword at the boy. "You fucking shot at me with lasers without so much as a warning! What, are you trying to kill me before Harvey has the opportunity to!?"

"Well I mean, you react best in the heat of the moment don't you?" Emile questioned, although based on his smirk he seemed to have known the answer. "Now come on, you gotta start using your energy if you're going to have a chance against the president!"

"Emile don't you dare fire another volley of-!" Before he could finish, Emile had already fired another series of blasts at Artorian, forcing him to start running to his side to avoid all the shots. "Damn it Emile! You better hope I don't get my hands around your throat!"

"Gotta get past my Hundred first!" Emile laughed as he continued to fire blast after blast at Artorian, forcing him closer to a wall. However, just as he was about to reach the edge of the arena, Artorian stomped his lead foot into the dirt and turn directly towards Emile, cutting two blasts away with a single swing from his father's sword. In that single second Artorian took to block, Emile could see the conduits around his variable suit glow for a brief second, getting a grin from him.

 _'Looks like he's showing signs of using his energy already.'_ Emile smiled as he continued his volley, Artorian now running towards him while cutting at each shot with his swords. Thanks to his variable suit, he was able to move almost flawlessly even with all the extra weight, meaning that his energy was doing it's job at boosting him normally. But Emile knew this boost alone wasn't enough, and that he had to teach Artorian to transfer the energy to specific conduit points to get the maximum effectiveness of his power.

"Come on Artorian!" Emile said as Artorian reached him, prepping his Hundred sword to slash at him. But as he was about to, the conduits at Emile's ankles brightened and he jumped back, the energy escaping from the conduit and boosting him back like thrusters before landing a few meters away. "You gotta start thinking on your feet. You won't be able to keep up with the other Slayers if all you do is use the default energy transfer."

"Easier said than done." Artorian grunted as he deflected several more beams from Emile, advancing towards him again in an attempt to strike him. As he was about to get close enough, Emile would simply boost away again, forcing Artorian to repeat the process of blocking and running. As the time went on, Artorian would begin to feel a few stray shots from Emile's Hundred hit across his body, showing that he was starting to amp up the pressure.

"You gotta try and increase you're speed Artorian!" Emile stated as he summoned two more canons from his feathers, causing Artorian's eyes to widen. "You can't win if you can't hit your opponent!"

"Well maybe if you'd explain how to manipulate energy instead of just shooting at me maybe I'd get somewhere!" Artorian shouted as he raised his shield up, tanking the shots as Emile began to barrage him. He wasn't able to protect his whole body, but luckily enough his "teacher" wasn't insane and was aiming purely for body shots, so he was able to block the shots despite their rapid speed. However, the force behind the blasts was proving to be powerful, as Artorian was slowly getting pushed back.

 _'Can't just teach me normally, can you? Gotta make a special show about it?'_ Artorian gritted his teeth as he tried to push back against the blasts, losing ground despite his efforts. _'How the hell can I even transfer energy when no one explained to me even how I generate it!?'_ During his thoughts, Artorian was pushed to just before the wall, the threat of being pinned growing apparent. _'How does Emile expect me to think on my feet when I don't have anything to even think!?'_

The moment his thought was finished, Artorian felt a swell of energy build up before he stopped himself, his back just an inch from the wall. "The hell?" Looking down, he stared in surprise as he saw his energy glowing around his feet from his ankle conduits.

 _'You're fucking kidding me.'_ Artorian thought as he realized what Emile meant by thinking on his feet. _'I had to fucking actually think on my feet, clever bitch!'_ Planting his feet firmly into the dirt, Artorian felt his power build up as he prepared to lunge out at Emile.

"Get ready you snow-haired prick!" Artorian shouted as the ground at his feet cracked, the power reaching a boiling point as he continued to think about his feet. "This is where the counter attack begi-SHIT!" As he pushed his feet out, the energy at his feet suddenly became volatile, the build up too much and sent him flying towards Emile at a speed he couldn't control.

Emile visibly flinched as he saw Artorian go from several meters away to right in front of him, the two staring face to face before colliding against each other in an explosion of dust.

As the dust began to settle, the two were visibly lying on the floor spread-eagled and covered in dirt. Their heads were right across each other's, Emile staring up with a grin while Artorian had a tired expression.

"That was awesome Artorian!" Emile grinned as he sat up, turning over to look at the still downed Artorian. "You learned how to manipulate your energy like it was second nature! And you were able to clear the gap between us in no time at all!"

"That was purely by accident and I had no control over it." Artorian responded as he sat up, spitting dirt out of his mouth. "Of course this wouldn't be a problem if you'd actually stop and take the time to explain how to control my energy like a normal person."

"Well teaching's never really been my thing, so I figured it'd be better to just work you over until you figured it out." Emile admitted, already standing up. "And it looks like I was right, you've already started getting your energy transfer down."

"I put too much thought into it." Artorian admitted, rubbing the dirt out of his hair as he let his guard down. "I need time to figure out how much I can handle before anything else. My fighting seems to be fine thanks to my personal training, but this Hundred is going to take time to figure out."

"Well then…" Artorian's whole body stiffened as he heard Emile's canons charging, turning around to see the white haired boy grinning in excitement. "I'm just going to have to work you twice as hard then!"

"Emile you son of a bitch!"

* * *

"Was a duel really necessary?" Matthew asked as he stood in Claire's office, the president sitting behind her desk.

"I've looked at the extensive history of Abyssal, he's a delinquent who's been in so many fights he shouldn't have been allowed to stay in school." Claire responded, not looking away from her computer as she talked. "All of the methods his teachers attempted to use to discipline him had proven to be inefficient. This will be the only way to show him that I am in charge and that he will follow orders."

"You know I saw the reports as well." Matthew stated as he looked to his captain. "Most of them were provoked fights, he was usually the one defending himself rather than attacking the other students. Putting him up against you in a duel just seemed… unexpected, since the challenge came from you."

"Is there something you're aiming at Ornisium?" Claire asked, looking away from her reports to look to the Slayer. "I'm aware you spoke to Abyssal on a personal level, you're not thinking of trying to convince me to reconsider the terms are you?"

"Oh no, he accepted your challenge and that was the moment he lost." Matthew said. "If he's in such a hurry to get himself beaten and responsible for three expulsions that's on him. You however confused me since you didn't give him any punishment for when he loses."

"I believe a humiliating defeat will be punishment enough for him. Outside of that, he had done nothing to break a rule or implicate he would fail as a Slayer." Claire explained. "I saw no reason to provide further punishment to him and that will remain."

"I'm not telling you how to do your job Claire, I'm just trying top figure out what you have planned." Matthew sighed as he shook his head. "You're the top Slayer on Little Garden, yet you agreed to withdraw an expulsion should a first year Slayer manage to beat you. Hell, even Erica and Liddy were confused at your decision."

"There is something I must find out for myself in regards to Abyssal." Claire spoke, turning her attention back to her computer to continue her work. "A duel with him is the best method for me to discover what exactly the son of the Abysswalker is capable of. And if there's a benefit to allowing him access to Little Garden despite his status."

"Just be careful not to kill him." Matthew said as he turned away, walking towards the door. "He has no experience with a Hundred and an afternoon's training isn't going to change the scale. I'd say avoid using your Full Armament if you want the fight to last more than ten seconds."

"Duly noted." Claire waved Matthew off as he reached the door, folding her hands together as she looked at her computer. On the screen was dozens of files of Hundred registrations, mission reports, supplies requisites and many others. But the one at the top was the report of Artorian's father Artorias. His file had virtually no data on him at all, his last name wasn't even in it. The amount of classified data behind him boggled the blonde's mind, not even her brother had so much digital black ink on him.

Slayers were usually supposed to be extremely public about who they were, especially someone who went on over 200 missions a year for the first 20 years of his service. His mission reports took a noticeable dip at 18 years ago, the president aware of that being when Artorian was born. But even then, not a single thing could be discovered on whom the former Slayer could have been.

Pulling up a file on Artorian, Claire had also noticed that data on his family was almost complete wiped, nothing outside of his father being recorded. Aside from the missing data however, Artorian was practically an open book. Everything from his education, to his relationship with the Kisaragi family, to even how he went through personal training to wield his father's greatsword. And looking at the purchase history of Artorian, she could conclude that he appeared to have problems with sleeping, but not to the extent of how bad the problems were.

 _'Just who are you, Artorian Abyssal?'_ She thought, hating the idea that there was something about the future Slayer that she didn't know about.

* * *

"I am really sorry for being late." Artorian apologized as he sat down next to Karen's new hospital bed, placing his sword against the wall as he did. For the past five hours he had been training with Emile, and while he made some progress with his Hundred it was nothing more than the basics, nothing that would be a game changer in the duel coming up. When they were finally done training he realized just how late he was to meet Karen like he promised, and wasn't able to do anything more than change back into his uniform.

In response to his apology, Karen would turn away, her lips curled into a frown as she closed her eyes. "Oh come on Karen, don't be like that. I had a long day and I wasn't able to come until just five minutes ago. I ran over a kilometer just so that I could make it here before visiting hours were over. You gotta forgive me here."

"Only if…" Karen responded, turning her head towards him but keeping her eyes closed.

That got a tired smile from Artorian, who shook his head before leaning forward and kissing her forehead. "You can really drive a hard bargain, can't you?"

Karen would smile as he pulled away, looking to him with a small blush. "I was worried when you didn't come after the ceremony. Did something happen?"

"Oh like you wouldn't believe." He groaned as he slumped his shoulders and neck down, visibly recovering from his training with Emile. "I got barraged by people trying to ask a million questions about how I look like my dad, why I have a giant sword on my shoulder, why am I so tall, and then I got challenged to a duel to avoid three students from getting expelled."

"Why are you so dirty?" She asked, noting the dirt on his face before taking a sniff and recoiling, pinching her nose. "And why do you smell so bad? Gross~"

"Since I never used a Hundred before, I had to quickly learn as much as I could." Artorian explained, looking up to her with a weak smile. "Let's just say my teacher was less than ideal and I spent most of my time dodging, blocking beams of energy and working myself to the bone. I didn't even have time to wash up."

"Awww, poor Artorian." Karen said while patting his head, trying to be supportive while keeping her nose blocked. "I'm sorry so much happened to you today, I know how much you don't like being in the spotlight."

"Thanks Karen. I need that after today."

A knocking was then heard at the door, getting the two's attention. "Come in." Karen called out. The door then opened and in came Karen's personal nurse Miharu Kashiwagi. Miharu was a young woman who was likely in her mid twenties, and at just first glance it was easy to tell. As far as Artorian was aware of, she was easily the most endowed woman he's met, while her uniform did cover her body in a more than modest way, it left little to the imagination. Her pink eyes and purple hair also provided a unique appearance to her, overall giving her the beauty of a fair maiden.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Karen, but it's almost the end of visiting hours." Miharu's voice was gentle and considerate, that alone letting Artorian know that Karen was in more than good hands.

"Aw, but he had just got here." Karen whined. "Is he able to stay for at least a few more minutes?"

"I wish he could, but unfortunately the staff is rather strict about our working hours." Miharu informed, appearing disappointed at the news.

"It isn't fair…" Karen looked down, sad that she barely got any time to see Artorian for the day.

Seeing her disappointment, Artorian would smile in encouragement as he stood up. Feeling him pat her head, Karen would look up to see Artorian's smile. "Don't worry Karen, we'll hang out once I have enough free time. We knew this would be a rough start, but we'll find a good routine for my visits."

When Karen finally smiled back, he'd ruffle her hair for a second before grabbing his sword, turning over to Miharu and rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry if me showing up so suddenly caused you any trouble, I just wanted to see Karen and I sort of… you know…"

"You perv." Karen called out, getting a side-glance from Artorian. "Don't think I don't know you're looking at Miharu's torpedo boobs. I can see you're eyes wandering."

"Hey, I'm a guy. It's perfectly normal to glimpse at a girl's chest every once in awhile." He responded, chuckling before looking back over to Miharu. "Sorry about that, guess I was caught red handed."

To her credit, Miharu took the implication well, shaking her head and smiling. "No it's okay. Just try to avoid doing that from now on, okay?"

"I promise." Artorian said as he walked past the nurse, stopping for a second to whisper to her. "Please take good care of Karen."

Miharu would be caught off guard by his request, but nodded and smiled as she turned to watch him leave. "I promise I'll do my best to treat her."

"Thank you."

"Artorian, you're eyes wandered again!" Karen called out to him as he left, getting a chuckle from him and a giggle from Miharu as he left.

"I am forever doomed to be caught by you're omniscient gaze."

"Hmph!"

* * *

"Ugh, today's been too long." Artorian groaned as he held his keycard in to his room's scanner, unlocking it. "Sleep's out of the question, but nothing like a bath will help… me…" As he opened the door, Artorian's words slowed down as he saw inside. Or rather, who was inside.

Emile was currently standing by his bed, likely having gotten out of the shower based on the towel wrapped around his torso. Artorian had caught him in the midst of putting on his underwear, his towel just blocking any sight of his lower anatomy. However, without his uniform on it was easier for Artorian to notice the curves of his body, leaving him to think to himself.

 _'Seriously, how does Emile hide those when he has his variable suit on?'_

The two remained in total silence for what felt like eternity, neither knowing what to say in the awkward air. Eventually though, Artorian would speak up, holding his hand up as he did. "Hey Emile, neat seeing you in my room right now."

"Art…orian…" Emile muttered out, his cheeks getting redder and redder as the weight of everything was starting to click with him. "Artorian!" He shouted as he reacted and began to throw whatever solid object he could at the mentioned boy. Artorian however just stood there, feeling most of the stuff just hit against him and fall to the ground.

When Emile then went to something heavier and grabbed his suitcase is when Artorian put his left hand forward and caught it, placing it down when he noticed Emile had nothing left to throw. "You done?"

"Am I done? Why did you just barge in here! As a matter of fact, get out!" Emile shouted back in response, pointing at Artorian who barely reacted.

"What's the matter Emile?" He grinned, stepping in and closing the door behind him. "We're both guys here, nothing to be embarrassed about." He then leaned his sword against the wall and stretched his back, fighting off the urge to laugh when he saw Emile's glare. "Ah what's the big deal man, you got out of the shower just now and decided to change outside of the bathroom, what did you think was going to happen?"

"That someone wasn't going to just barge in without so much as knocking!"

"Um, I didn't barge in, I used my card." Artorian countered, holding his keycard up before putting it in his pocket. "So what's the bathroom situation like because I feel like utter filth right now."

"You're trying to change the… whatever." Emile eventually gave in, looking away while his cheeks were still beet red. "There's a shower and a bathtub, although the tub isn't in the same style as Yamato's. It's more like Liberia."

"Good, I prefer those kinds anyway." Artorian commented, unbuttoning his blazer and taking it off. "Judging by how you were changing by it, I'm guessing you called dibs on the bed closer to the door." Walking past the towel-clad student, Artorian put his blazer down next to his bed, bringing his suitcase with him and placing it on the floor. "I'm going to take a bath, so unless you have anything left to do in the bathroom I'll hope in."

"N-No, I'm good." Emile responded, trying to calm himself while looking away.

"Awesome." Artorian said simply before he started to unbutton his shirt. When the last button came undone, Emile looked back over and jumped in shock at seeing Artorian take his shirt off.

"W-What are you doing now!?" Emile demanded as he blushed, trying hard to avoid looking at Artorian's chest and abs. It was at that moment Emile realized that the uniform did absolutely no justice to Artorian, his muscular chest and abs not even visible under the clothes.

"Taking my clothes off." Artorian answered nonchalantly, tossing his shirt by his blazer. "It's kind of something you have to do when you take a bath. Otherwise you don't get all the dirt and sweat off. Plus the shirt's uncomfortable to wear so getting that off was a blessing."

When Artorian moved down to his belt, Emile screamed internally before shouting at him. "No, absolutely not!"

"Huh?"

"You are not taking your pants off while in this room!" Emile shouted as he crossed his arms in an X over his head, repeatedly shaking his head no as he did. "There is going to be a ground rule with that, absolutely none of that now!"

"Why, you clearly didn't have a problem stripping yourself in the room." Artorian countered, smirking as he saw Emile's eyes widen. He then chuckled, shaking his head as he walked to the bathroom. "All right, I've pulled your leg enough. I'll leave my pants when I'm out in this room since you're clearly that insecure." As he opened the door, he looked back to give Emile one last smirk, adding a wink before speaking up. "If you were planning on sleeping, don't worry about leaving the lights on. I'll probably be soaking up for awhile." He then closed the door, leaving Emile to release the breath he didn't realize he was holding in.

' _What the heck was that!? I was planning on trying to get closer to him while we're here, but he's been way too forward!'_ Emile thought as he looked at his hands. _'He was like that too when we first put on our variable suits. Don't tell me he's… actually into guys after all this time!'_

' _Way too easy.'_ Artorian thought as he grinned, having enjoyed messing with Emile. As he walked over to start the water, he stopped to look in the mirror. Seeing the several scars littered across his torso and back, he took the time to lift the hair covering his forehead, revealing the scar he got from ten years ago. A bitter taste entered his mouth as he thought back to the day, and everything that had transpired since it.

' _This is how you would've acted… right?'_ Artorian thought as he looked down, letting his hair back down as he let his mind wander while waiting for his bath to be ready. It hurt him more when he looked back up to his reflection, seeing a flash of his dad rather than his own face. A common hallucination he had when he was nearing his limit of days without sleep. He was just counting himself lucky he had a few more days before he'd collapse, meaning he could at least fight in the duel tomorrow.

"One headache at a time." Artorian told himself, reminding himself to limit himself before he made himself collapse. He could worry about the fight once he was done taking his bath.


	4. Queen vs Knight

"Hnnnnng." Emile would groan as he woke up, feeling the light leak through the curtains of the room. Sitting up, he'd rub the sleep from his eyes and look over to Artorian's bed, expecting him to either be just waking up or to still be asleep. But what he saw was an empty and vacant bed, neatly tucked as if it hadn't even been touched.

' _Did he wake up earlier than me?'_ Emile wondered as he looked at he reached to his keycard. Grabbing it, he'd turn it over and tap on the black metal, a screen appearing to reveal the device as a PDA as well. The card was basically an all in one tool, almost reflecting the use of the Hundred the Slayers used.

Looking at the time, Emile was surprised when he saw that it was only seven o'clock. _'It's still early? But then when did Artorian wake up?'_

"Oh, you're awake." Hearing the door open, Emile looked over and saw Artorian walk in, wearing his casual clothes with his sword and a bag in hand.

"Artorian?" Emile questioned, seeming confused at his appearance.

"Who else could open the door with his keycard?" He asked as he walked in, placing his sword against the wall before sitting on the edge of Emile's bed. "Considering how uncontrolled your hair is, I assume you slept well?" Emile would feel the top of his head in response, realizing just how unkempt his hair was. After the embarrassment of Artorian walking in on him, Emile had forgotten to tie his hair back, leading to the chaos of his bed hair.

"Aw man, that's going to take so long to fix." Emile groaned as he looked down.

"Ah it won't take that long, I'll help fix it up." Artorian offered as he reached into his bag.

"Do you know how to style hair?"

"Yeah, I'd help Karen with her hair every day when I'd visit her in the hospital." Artorian chuckled as he pulled out a juice pouch, handing it to Emile. "Here, consider it a small gift for the training yesterday."

"Oh, thanks." Emile responded as he took the pouch, taking the cap off before taking a sip from it.

 _'Blackberry?'_ Emile thought as he tasted the flavor, watching as Artorian took out a second pouch and started to drink it as well.

"I gotta say, the bath here was a little lack luster." Artorian commented, sparking a conversation as he finished drinking. "It wasn't really that bad, but it's way too small for someone like me to relax in."

"I guess it was kind of made for people smaller than you." Emile chuckled as he paused drinking. "Although if that's the case, there's a guy's public bath you can use. I hear it has all sorts of minerals and herbs that promote recovery, so I assume most people use it after a mission or intense training."

"That so? I guess I'll have to take a look and test it out later after my duel."

"Do you feel more confident in the fight now?"

"Absolutely not, I feel like I'm going to be slaughtered." Artorian grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "But don't worry, I'm going to put everything I have into fighting the so called "Queen" of Little Garden. Can't have my new buddy getting kicked out can I?"

"You seem… different." Emile commented. "Don't take it the wrong way, but you acted a lot different yesterday than you are right now. What happened?"

"Nothing really." Artorian shrugged. "I was in a bit of a tight spot yesterday because I felt completely on edge going on a battleship. Not gonna lie, I have a bit of a problem with water and normally would do whatever I could to avoid being smack down in the middle of the ocean. But I spent most of the morning walking around so I feel more like I'm on land so my mood's gone up a bit. Plus, I'm more of a morning person if I'm honest."

"Oh, well that's good at least." Emile smiled, getting a pat on the head from Artorian.

"Don't think you're out of the doghouse yet, I still need to think of a good punishment for dragging me into a fight with the student council president." He smirked, lightly hitting his knuckles against Emile's head. "But it's best for me to focus on the fight to come rather than that. We can talk about what the punishment will be after."

"But I thought you think you're going to lose?"

"I'm going in with the lowest expectation, that way I can surprise myself when I do better." Artorian stated, standing up off Emile's bed. He then grinned, a competitive aura covering him as his teeth were visible. "This is the first time I'm going into a fight without knowing if I'm going to win, my blood's starting to pump and I don't want to disappoint myself with overthinking everything."

"Do you enjoy fighting?" Emile questioned, tilting his head.

"Normally, not really." Artorian admitted. "But all my fights back then were against punks who thought they could get away with badmouthing Karen or making fun of her condition."

 _'That name again…'_ Emile thought, looking over to Artorian as he got out on the other side of the bed. Artorian quickly noted his loose shirt and baggy pants, making him hum.

"Who is Karen exactly?" Emile asked. "Is she your sister or a friend? Or is she… something more?"

"Pfft!" Artorian could barely contain himself at Emile's question, having to put his hand over his mouth to avoid spitting out in laughter. "No, hell no it isn't like that! Oh my god, where did that something more come from!?" He then let his laughter go down a bit before shaking his head, grinning widely at Emile. "You were closer with the friend assumption. I've known Karen for her entire life and we used to hang out almost every day along with her brother. Things changed ten years ago and we've been living together ever since. Although she would spend more time in the hospital each year until she eventually had to stay there."

"Oh, was she who you visited after training?"

"Yeah, she's being treated for a severe case of Severance. She first contracted it during the Savage attack in Yamato and it evolved into it's second stage eight years ago."

That caused Emile to look down, knowing full well that if Severance went to stage two, it meant the disease would be permanently in the person and continue to develop. "How far is she in it?"

"About stage three, in the process of going stage four. Although…" He then chuckled as he walked over to his sword, picking it back up and placing it on his shoulder. "If I'm being honest, you almost couldn't tell she's been fighting the life threatening disease if you met her. She always manages to smile and look at the brighter side of things, something I can't."

"Well she's here now, so that means she won't suffer through stage four at all." Emile responded, trying to sound positive as he did. "The technology here is beyond state of the art, Char and all the technicians are experts when it comes to Savage and can keep Severance down like it isn't even there."

"I know." He nodded, sounding disappointed as he did. "I know that well." An uncomfortable silence then went over the two, neither knowing what to say after what was brought up.

.

.

.

"Want to get something to eat?"

* * *

"You're late." Liddy stated as Artorian and Emile approached the entrance to the coliseum. The vice president then raised an eyebrow at seeing Artorian's attire, noting that he was in casual clothing. "And you're out of uniform."

"Not like I'm here to fight in it." Artorian rolled his eyes, not caring much for the idea of wearing the uniform for everything. "Plus I just washed it last night and I'd rather not waste the time it takes to put it on and take it off when I'm going to be putting on my Variable Suit."

"It is still informal to come out of uniform, however I suppose that isn't important right now." Liddy sighed before motioning to the door behind her. "I will escort you to the room your Variable Suit is being kept. I can assume you have your Hundred with you?"

"Right in the safe containment of my pocket." Artorian responded, pulling his Variable Stone out to show he had the weapon given to him.

"Good, follow me." Liddy ordered, heading through the doors. Artorian and Emile shared a look, before the former shrugged and they followed through. It was a rather silent trip, as the three didn't say a word as they moved through the building, each corridor matching the last.

When Liddy eventually stopped at a large door, she'd turn to face the two. "The duel will begin in thirty minutes, you'll be expected to be ready within twenty."

"Easy enough." Artorian said as he took a step to enter the room, stopping when Liddy held her hand out to stop him. "What now?"

"You will either have to leave your sword in this room or with Emile." Liddy informed, surprising the two on the news.

"Hold up, you can't just go and make a rule like that up!" Emile protested. "We spent hours with him training with both his Hundred and his sword, taking that away puts a handicap on him!"

"It is not a new rule." Liddy responded, perfectly calm in face of Emile's anger. "In duels, nothing except the Slayer's Hundred can be used. As it isn't a part of his Hundred, Artorian would be breaking the rules by bringing in a foreign weapon to battle the president."

"It's all right." Artorian spoke up before Emile could protest further, stepping into the locker room. "I'm better at fighting with a single sword anyways, so it'll be for the better. Although I'll leave this as a warning." Stopping inside, Artorian turned back to stare at Liddy with a wide-eyed glare, his malice being felt by both the vice president and Emile. "If anyone I don't allow touches this sword, I will personally send them to the bottom of the sea. Are we clear on that?"

"Crystal." Liddy responded, nodding once before the door closed.

When he was alone, Artorian sighed and placed a hand on his head, walking over to where his Variable Suit was hung. "This is going to be a bigger pain than I thought it would." Putting his sword down, he'd shake his head before reaching for his suit, putting it on as he mentally prepared himself. "Though I guess that's what happens when you basically enroll in a military academy. Rules will do nothing but make things more complicated for you."

It didn't take long for Artorian to change into his Variable Suit, leaving him to sit in the room thinking up of any strategy that could work outside of the one he came up with Emile. Considering the range difference between the two, he knew that getting in close to Claire would be vital if he were to have a chance, but that didn't guarantee anything in the long run. He didn't know the extent of her training, but he could tell by the physic he saw from her in the video Charlotte showed him that she wasn't close to being petite.

 _'How would you handle this?'_ Artorian thought to himself as he laid back, looking up to his Variable Stone as he held it between his finger and thumb. Even now he felt the stone appeared to be nothing more than a novelty, but he couldn't deny the power he felt when he activated it. It also gave him a completely new view on his father, who was leagues above any Slayer currently alive and yet never even touched a Variable Stone. It just showed how much of a gap was between him and his father even more.

Before he could think further on that, he heard a knocking at the door and sat up, flicking his stone up before catching it in his hand. "You can enter if you want to." At his words, the door opened to Emile, Noa and Liu, Liddy standing at the side like a guard as they walked in. "Oh, well if it isn't Reasons 1, 2 and 3 I'm about to fight against the top Slayer at Little Garden. What a generous surprise."

"We're very sorry!" Both Noa and Liu responded immediately, getting Artorian to lean back in discomfort from their response.

"You don't have to worry about us, so please don't force yourself any more than you have to!"

"Although we're the ones at fault, you're the one that's having a hard time. We feel bad and… we don't think it's too late for you to forget about the duel!"

"That's where you're wrong." Artorian stated, standing up as he regarded the two. "I'm too far deep into this mess to pull out less I decide my pride isn't worth it. And besides, it's not like this is a life or death situation or anything. We're just talking about you three getting expelled."

"And there's nothing you need to worry about, cause Artorian's going to win." Emile smirked, having total faith in his friend.

"But we're… putting so much on the son of Artorias. It isn't fair to you." Noa said in shame, a small groan coming from Artorian before Liddy spoke up.

"It's been twenty minutes, you'll be expected in the arena."

Sighing, Artorian grabbed his sword and stood to his full height, looking down to the three in the room. "Look, you feel bad for all this? Do me a favor and cut this "son of Artorias" shit, that's the very reason this all started." He stated before looking over to Emile specifically. "As for you, can you do me a favor and keep an eye on my sword? If I can't carry it with me I'd rather someone I can trust keep a hold of it."

"No problem Artorian! I swear I-"

"And since Karen isn't here and can't possibly lift this, that leaves you."

"Oh." Emile responded, not expecting the last minute comment from Artorian. When he was handed the sword, Emile nearly fell to the ground from the weight, the sword being significantly heavier than what he was expecting, even from a greatsword. "So heavy…"

"Be careful not to throw your back out." Artorian warned before walking up to Liddy. Before the two would head out, he looked back to the three and give a two-finger salute. "Be sure to cheer me on out there, start making up for all the trouble you've caused."

"Right!" All three exclaimed, Emile's more struggled as he tried to lift the sword up.

Shaking his head, Artorian smirked before turning back to Liddy, who began to walk towards where the duel would be. "I can assume you're fully prepared?"

"Yep, I've done my stretches, drank my milk and counted to a hundred." Artorian stated, crossing his arms behind his head as he walked next to the vice president. After his comment, the sound of excited roars could be heard, getting a tilt of confusion from him. "What was that?"

"Most likely Claire has made her entrance." Liddy informed, getting a drawn out whistle from Artorian.

"Wow, I figured she'd be popular, but that sounds like quite the crowd then."

"More than just the Slayers in training are coming to watch the match, the average high schooler, middle schooler and even shop keepers are here to watch the president's duel. And as I expect, a few are also interested in seeing the return of the Abyssal family to the rank of the Slayers."

"And what about you? Ready to see your president lay the smack down on a freshman or interested in what the infamous Abyssal family is capable of?"

"Personally, I'm interested in neither." Liddy admitted, getting an interested hum from Artorian for her to continue. "As most who are watching are expecting, I don't believe this fight will change the outcome. Claire has far more experience and will likely end the fight in a few minutes. If the fate of the three students were really that important, they'd either be expelled now or forgiven for their transaction. On the other hand, I'm aware that your father had a habit of denying the outcomes, fighting against odds that couldn't be won. So as far as I'm concerned, this is simply a matter of luck and skill."

"So you're neutral in this whole thing? I'm shocked."

"I have to be, both Erica and I will be judges in your duel." Liddy explained. "And you needn't worry about Erica's standings either, she will not allow any favoritism towards Claire get in the way of determining the fight in a fair manner."

"Guess that's good, best I'll get going in this."

* * *

 _'Now this is really over the top.'_ Artorian thought as he stood in the arena across from Claire, looking around to see the thousands of spectators. Aside from the much larger area and complete lack of a roof, it was practically identical to the training ground he and Emile were at yesterday. He's never seen so many people in one place, and he had to admit it was messing with his focus a bit. And even without the constant cheering he could tell the fans were enthusiastic, dozens having made their own signs and banners; all in their support of their Queen.

He saw a few of the freshmen class in the stands as well, including Reitia and Matthew who sat next to each other. "Give it you're all, Artorian!" Reitia cheered, grinning before looking over to Matthew. "So, who do you think is going to win?"

"Claire, it's not even a contest." Matthew answered, getting a small look of disapproval from her.

"You could at least pretend to have some hope for Artorian. He's doing a really nice thing taking on the Pres for the others."

"Whether he's doing something "nice" or not is irrelevant to the question of if he'll win." He responded. "In almost every category, Claire has him outmatched. The only one I can imagine him having an advantage in is his strength, but that won't do him any good if he can't touch her."

"Well I'm betting he'll win." Reitia grinned, seeing this as a contest between them. "Can't ever ignore that unknown factor, especially when someone's blood like Artorias' is running through him."

"Natural talent won't get you anywhere. His lack of training is the reason he'll fail."

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to see then."

Taking his attention off the crowd, Artorian put his focus back on Claire, the blonde standing five meters away from him in her Variable Suit. Much like in the video, it was a matching red to her uniform. However, in person he noted how much less it covered than it did on film. Whether it was a new suit or not, her shoulders and most of her arms were visible, similarly in design to the male suits. It also clung to her body rather nicely, making it impossible to ignore her developed and womanly curves.

"Were you able to prepare yourself?" Claire asked as she pulled on her right glove, making sure it was properly in place.

"Crowd's a little annoying, but other than that I feel ready for this." Artorian answered, rolling his shoulders to loosen himself up more.

"You'd be smart to lose that habit." Claire stated with a wry smile, taking note of Artorian's posture and build. "In the middle of a battle, thinking like that could get you killed."

"Yeah well, a lot of things can." He groaned as he stretched his arms one last time, his suit feeling even tighter as he stood ready.

Much like how Artorian took note of her appearance, Claire took in each detail she could on him. Without even seeing him in a Variable Suit, his size alone made it clear he was built for direct combat. And thanks to the tight material of his suit, the details of his muscles were all the more clear, letting her know to avoid letting him get too close. However, she was able to take her measurements of him further, noting that despite the fact they were about to fight, he stood perfectly calm. In fact, he appeared to almost be in a relaxed posture, given he didn't have his back straightened or even his feet in the right stance.

"You're looking at me rather intently, gotta say I'm flattered." Artorian chuckled as he noted her stares, although she didn't react in any way as she looked back up to his eyes. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, I understand I'm an above average example of the male sex. And with a suit like this, I might as well be wearing nothing but my shorts, they both hide the same amount."

"Oh? And are you thinking you're innocent of staring either?" Claire asked back. "Don't think I didn't notice your glances at me, with those lewd eyes no less."

Artorian would let a single laugh out as he shrugged, not the least bit bothered by her assumption. "Well what can I say, you put a girl with as well of a developed body as yours in a skintight suit, a boy's no doubt going to look. If it makes you feel any better, I'd say you're at least a 8/10." He added in, winking as he grinned widely. "Probably would be higher if you had a better personality. Although that joke you threw in might raise you to a 8.4 if you're lucky."

"You have no shame, do you?"

"No point in being ashamed in situations like this, is there?" Artorian asked back, tapping his forehead. "There's no shame in admitting when you think someone is attractive, same with if someone finds you attractive either. So why should I feel shame at all?"

That caused Claire to shake her head in disappointment before sighing. "I feel that even bothering won't be worth it." Pulling out her Variable Stone, Claire would stare in determination as she flipped it into the air. "Hundred on!" In a flash of light, the six canon pods that made up her Hundred Alystherion came to life, along with a pair of red gauntlets. "Now it's your turn to deploy you're Hundred."

"Act like I need my hand held why don't you." Artorian muttered as he pulled out his own stone, dropping it in the same fashion he had before. "Hundred on." In a similar flash his Hundred formed, the sword and shield both on his left arm like before. Noting the obvious lack of mobility, Artorian would concentrate hard on the energy bond his shield had and slowly moved it to his back, locking it in place.

 _'He's not going to use his shield?'_ Claire wondered, thinking on what he could be thinking about.

"The duel between student council president Clair Harvey and freshman Artorian Abyssal will now commence." Erica pronounced, her and Liddy sitting behind a desk elevated from the battleground. "However, before we begin, I ask you for your patience so we may explain the rules to the freshmen present. The time limit will be 15 minutes. A knockout, surrender, or the depletion of either vitality or energy will result in a victory or defeat."

At her explanation, the giant scoreboard installed above the spectator stands came to life, showing the time limit, amount of energy both combatants had and their vitality readings. "The data for the vitality and energy will be drawn from the energy conduits at their hands and feet. This will allow both us and the audience to determine the values at all times, do you have any further questions Artorian?"

"Nah, I think I got it down." Artorian responded, waving his free left hand to the vice president as he stared Claire down. "Basically I just gotta knock you out or make you waste your energy shooting at me."

Before they continued, Claire would raise her hand. "To make things fair, I would like to add in a condition."

"Huh?" Artorian questioned, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

"What would that condition be Claire?" Erica asked.

"I had pondered the thought yesterday. Artorian has no relatively impressive Hundred score and barely any experience using his Hundred. If I were to fight him at full power, then this wouldn't even be considered a match. So I believe that a handicap is necessary."

 _'She's looking down on me.'_ Artorian gritted his teeth at the thought, his left hand tightening around his sword.

"And what would the handicap be?"

"I will avoid using my Full-Body Armament for the entirety of this fight." Claire stated, the glare from Artorian becoming more apparent as he stared her down. "Is something the matter?"

"You're foregoing using your full power on the account you think I wouldn't stand a chance against you."

"No one in their Bare Armament form can take on a Full-Body Armament." Claire informed, stating it as fact without hesitation. "Using it in a fight against you would make the victory be completely meaningless."

"The handicap is recognized and an understandable addition." Erica stated, Artorian's eye twitching in irritation as he felt a fire spark in him. "Both of you, please place some distance between each other and face one another." Both Artorian and Claire followed the orders without question, backing up to make the distance between them ten meters. "Now, let the duel commence!"

When the 10 appeared on the scoreboard, Artorian spread both his legs out and began to focus on his energy. As he shifted his feet, Artorian would grip his sword with both hands, his left serving as the dominant and confusing some of the spectators.

 _'Strange, he holds his personal sword with his right as the dominant.'_ Liddy thought as the timer went to 7 and Artorian shifted the weight of his blade onto his shoulder.

 _'So you're ambidextrous like you're father.'_ Claire noted, recalling the limited information she could scrounge on Artorias. There wasn't much on how he fought, but from what she gathered he was a powerhouse that could pierce through any Savage with a single swing of his sword. And if Artorian trained himself, the only variable style he could attempt would be his father's, making his approach being the most direct possible.

The two both narrowed their eyes as they prepared themselves, the timer reaching to 5 _._ The crowd's cheering then became nothing but a distant memory, the sound in the arena silencing to nothing as the final countdown began. It was shocking how quickly everyone went silent when the match edged closer to beginning, the few routing for Artorian appearing still excited despite remaining quiet.

3… 2… 1…

"Show me what you can do, Artorian Abyssal!" Claire announced when the timer hit 0, all six of her canons aiming and firing at her opponent in the blink of an eye. Artorian's eyes were still narrowed as the beams approached, his hands clenched tight to his sword as he transferred energy into his feet. The beams then collided as he swung out, causing a cloud of dust to explode around him from the impact.

Claire would prepare herself and fire another series of blasts at his position, expecting him to move forward the moment after his block. But as she fired the green energy at the cloud it dispersed suddenly, getting pushed outward to reveal he wasn't at the center.

"Where did he go?" Retia thought out loud as she looked at the last spot Artorian was seen, her eyes wide in shock at the sudden disappearance.

"Damn, he's faster than I was expecting." Matthew stated as he was looking up, confusing everyone until they saw what he was looking up to.

"Where are you aiming president?" Artorian announced as he reached the peak of his jump, twisting his blade down and boosting himself quickly back to the ground with force.

Using her own energy, Claire managed to dodge his sword impaling her, but was sent back further by the shockwave of his attack. Stopping herself, she looked up in time to see Artorian pull his sword out of the ground and rush her, forcing her to dodge a downward slash aimed right at her.

Seeing an opening in his recovery, Claire sent out a quick kick to Artorian's head, snapping it to the side and stunning him. She reared her fist to punch him in his side, but quickly jumped back when he slashed out in a quick burst of speed, spinning around before stopping in her direction.

 _'He swung wide with just a single hand on his grip!'_ Erica thought in shock as Artorian stood ready with his sword, wielding the full weight with one hand as he charged the energy in his feet.

In a burst of power, Artorian blasted forward with his sword thrusted forward. Claire would dodge to the side, avoiding the heavy blow and firing with her canons simultaneously. Just as the beams were about to hit, Artorian turned on his heels and blocked them with his shield, continuing the turn to face Claire and slash at her horizontally.

Ducking under the attack, Claire fired another blast at him, forcing him to position his blade across him to block it the best he could. The blast knocked him a few meters back, however he caught himself and flipped over his back, landing firmly on the dirt and readying another attack.

As Claire would begin to fire multiple shots at him, he'd easily run forward and dodge the majority of the beams, slashing out as one was about to hit him. The freshman's speed was surprising, but Claire was still able to keep up and form her canons together, creating a shield that hovered in front of her and blocks the swing.

 _'He's faster than I expected!'_ Claire thought as he quickly maneuvered around the shield, attempting to slash at her from her side. Her shield was able to move quickly enough to block, sparks going off before he jumped over her. Separating her canons, Claire took the opportunity to blast at him as he was open.

Swinging his sword in a massive arc, Artorian managed to cut apart each of the beams before landing, using his sword to block the next volley while getting pushed back. He was only pushed back for a second before his feet dug into the ground and he stopped, slashing out and rushing at Claire again.

"Clever bastard, that's what you're doing." Matthew commented as he watched Artorian attempt to hit Claire, the president dodging each of his slashes as she retreated back.

"Matthew?" Reitia questioned, looking away from the battle to her friend.

"Most people would focus on an all around training to best familiarize themselves with a Hundred, maximizing their ability to control the weapons." Matthew would continue with his thought, not responding to Reitia but answering the coming question. "It looks like he put all of his time training yesterday into manipulating the energy in his feet. He focused on becoming adept at just his movement since he already had the strength advantage."

After she had gotten enough distance from Artorian, Claire would have all of her canons aim at his chest, firing a combined blast that sent him crashing back into the dirt. Amidst his landing, Artorian grunted before flipping over his shoulder, digging his fingers into the ground and stopping himself just short of hitting the wall. As he stood up, he saw Claire's canons prepare another series of beams, leaving him little time to react.

"Shield up, now!"

Hearing Emile's voice, Artorian moved without thinking, putting his right arm behind him so that the energy link would connect quickly before moving it to bloc the incoming attacks.

"That you Emile?" Artorian asked, looking down to his communication conduit.

"Yeah, remember how I told you we could communicate?" Emile responded, sitting at the closest row of spectator rows with an earpiece on.

"Emile Crossfode, what on Earth do you think you're doing!?" Erica proclaimed, looking over to the white-haired student.

"Artorian's an amateur with his Hundred, he can barely do any more energy manipulation that what he does with his feet. I'm not fighting his battle for him, just giving a little advice so that he isn't completely outmatched."

"That was not established in the rules, there is no way we'd allow this. After this a punishment will be-"

"I'll allow it." Claire interrupted.

"But Claire…"

"If it allows Artorian to preform at his best, I will allow such a condition."

 _'She's still looking down on me.'_ Artorian growled as he got into his stance, his shield arm in front while keeping his sword up.

"Emile, do me a favor and only speak up if I look dazed. Otherwise, stay out of this and let me make my own mistakes."

"But Artorian-"

"I don't need every handicap under the sun to participate in this fight!" Artorian shouted as he rushed at Claire, holding his shield up to tank the beams that were fired from her Hundred. Seeing Claire shift her aim to his lower body, Artorian would quickly act and jump into the air, preforming a somersault and bringing his sword down right at the president.

Claire was able to narrowly dodge to the side, preparing to fire again at Artorian before he suddenly turned and preformed a second somersault, surprising her and managing to land a blow across her body. Her Variable Suit was able to take the attack, but she was still sent skidding back from the force.

 _'He's more aggressive and nimble than before.'_ Claire realized as he lunged forward, bringing his sword down to slam down in front of her. Using her canons to shield her, the impact did little to injure her but still forced her back more. Before she could even stop herself, Artorian ran up and punched out, the end of his shield striking hers and knocking her back against the wall.

The moment her back hit the wall, Artorian prepared his sword and lunged and thrusted his sword at her with surprising speed. However, Claire predicted the attack and jumped right over it, using his shoulder to propel herself further and twist in the air before landing, her canons separating and preparing another volley for him.

Due to her dodge, Artorian's sword was buried deep into the wall, forcing him to release it if he were to have the chance to dodge. Jumping up into the air, he avoided the first set of beams and put his shield out in front of him to block the next, sending him higher into the air.

Claire had expected him to slam against the barrier above them, planning on his focus on her to distract him from the incoming collision. However, she was surprised when he flipped backwards and landed feet first on the barrier. Despite the lack of knowing where the barrier was, Artorian was able to feel just enough energy from it to predict the timing, and in doing so landed with a vantage point against his opponent.

 _'If this doesn't get her defense, I'll be wide open to her next attack.'_ Artorian thought as he charged energy into his feet, lunging out with a massive amount of force right towards Claire.

"If you think a direct assault will work, you're thoroughly mistaken!" Claire announced as she aimed her canons at him, firing another volley as he quickly approached her.

Expecting the beams, Artorian placed his shield forward and used both arms to power through the first five before parrying the final. During the midst of his parry, Artorian's foot was caught by the last beam, surprising him and knocking him off balance. Due to his speed, he was incapable of recovering and before either could react, both him and Claire were face to face, an inch away from impact.

 _'Fuck not again!'_

In a resounding crash that spread dirt into the air, Artorian and Claire collapsed onto the ground in a massive heap. While the landing itself hadn't caused much damage to either, the sudden impact had stunned them temporarily, the positions they were in causing a resounding laughter to spread across the arena.

"Well that's… certainly not an ideal position." Matthew commented, seeing Artorian laying on top of Claire as the two attempted to correct their semblance of position.

"Ah man, that didn't feel good." Artorian groaned as he was in the process of getting up, moving his hand to push himself up.

"Hnnn!" However the moment his hand connected to something soft, he heard the sound of Claire taking a sharp intake of air, confusing him as he was still partial experiencing vertigo.

"The hell is this?" Artorian shook his head, feeling out what was in his hand as he was regaining his senses. "Something… not ground…"

"Artorian Abyssal! Wh-where do you think you're touching!?"

"Huh?" As he finally got his senses on his surrounding, he became aware of the fact he was currently mounted on top of Claire, the blonde glaring heatedly at him as he felt the warmth in his hand. Looking further down, he had found that he was holding onto the girl's voluptuous breasts.

 _'Oh… that makes more sense.'_ On instinct at the discovery, Artorian's hand groped at the soft mound, causing the Queen to moan at the feeling.

"What on Earth do you think you're…" Claire spoke as she stared up to him with a bright red face, the embarrassment of a boy groping her.

"Honestly? I don't even think I know the answer to that." Artorian responded, looking back to the president's blue eyes. "On one hand, this started purely by accident and I had no intention of doing this. But on the hand currently on your breast, I was confused at the fact it felt like the Variable Suit wasn't even there. This thing cushioned the impact of my sword but it feels so thin." At the end of his words, Artorian groped the girl for a third time as his mind seemed to wonder at the thought of the Variable Suit's material, almost forgetting that he was actively groping his opponent.

The grope resulted in another moan from Claire, the sensation causing her body to lose strength for a second. But the moment it came back, she glared heatedly at Artorian and her energy flashed for a second, bringing him back to reality as he jumped back several meters, his instincts expecting an attack from the stare alone.

As she would begin to stand back up, Artorian would look down to his right hand and curled his fingers in a groping fashion several times, recalling the feeling of the girl's breast. _'They're pretty big and even felt like the perfect mix of soft and firm. Talk about a score.'_

When he looked back up to Claire, Artorian couldn't help but sweatdrop at the glare she was giving him, suddenly feeling a lot more conscious about his chances of surviving this duel.

"What the hell are you doing touching the president's boobs!?" Emile shouted over the comms, getting Artorian to recoil before responding.

"Oh like you're one to talk right now!" Artorian shouted back, actually turning to Emile in the stands as he pointed to him. "You are in no position to complain with everything that's going on!"

"Hrrrrrrrng!" Emile grumbled as he hid half his face behind the boundary, his eyes narrowed at Artorian.

"T-To think you… of all people taking my first time." Claire said shakily as she stood up, getting Artorian's attention again.

"O-ho-kay, kinda making it a bigger deal than it is with that "first time" comment blondie." Artorian chuckled, finding her flustered face funnier than her glare threatening. "I mean, the first two times were just an accidental grope, I was still reeling in from the crash and was confused."

"Y-You groped me three times!"

"Yeah not gonna lie, third time was kinda intentional." Artorian admitted, shrugging as he grinned. "Just a quick cop to really feel it out. You know, before you kill me and I'm turned into dust."

"You… you have some nerve on you Artorian." Claire glared as she had tears in her eyes, completely embarrassed at what had happened. "Don't expect any more mercy from me!"

 _'Welp, it was nice life. Not really, but at least I got to cop a feel before kicking the bucket.'_ Artorian thought as Claire's canons prepared to fire, the energy charging as she prepared her attack.

When she fired the blasts, he protected himself with his shield, the impact pushing him back a bit but otherwise washing across his protection. The moment he looked out from his shield, however, Claire was instantly in front of him with her fist already in the motion of punching him, striking him solid in the gut. Before he could even finish reeling from the impact, Claire twisted her body and struck him with a roundhouse kick, sending him crashing into the wall next to his sword.

The Queen didn't pursuit him, readying her canons as he pulled himself out of the wall. The moment he did though he instantly fell to his hands and knees, heaving as the contents of his breakfast came out. A round of disgust and winces came from the entire crowd, even Emile feeling the punch in his gut from watching Artorian puke his stomach out.

"Ah man… I really liked that breakfast too." He groaned as he stared down to his vomit, spitting to get as much taste out of his mouth as possible before slowly standing up. He didn't even bother to clean his face, the small drips of bile going down his chin as he breathed heavily. "And now my mouth's going to taste like bile for the next couple of minutes, just great."

"Consider that just a taste of what's to come to you." Claire announced as she aimed her canons at him, watching as Artorian reached for his sword and pulled it out of the wall.

"You're gonna make me puke again? Cause if I'm being honest, that's easily the worst feeling I've had in terms of physical pain." He commented, tapping his hand on his stomach as he did. "Cause if you do, I feel like it'll go unjustified. I'd say a second gut punch would be fair if I groped you like four or five times… not just three."

"He really doesn't have an off switch, does he?" Matthew said as he kept an eye on the two fighters, Reitia laughing sheepishly as she rubbed the back of his head.

"It at least means he still has some spirit left in him though. SO at least he isn't completely out of the fight yet."

"He's going to be wishing he was in a minute."

Shaking her head, Claire would stare at her opponent as he visibly struggling to keep his composure, the strike to his gut providing enough damage to keep him from moving effectively for a minute. And with a simple wave of her hand, her Hundred completely surrounded Artorian and firing at him.

In a single burst of strength, Artorian was able to cut two of the beams before being unable to keep up with the ensuing volley of beams, causing him to collapse to from the damage. He would use his sword to keep him from falling to his knees however, panting heavily as he stared down the Queen.

"So after all of that, are you done?" Claire asked, standing perfectly composed after recovering from the earlier embarrassment.

"Not on your life." Artorian breathed out as he gritted his teeth and pushed against his exhaustion, pulling his sword up and putting it on his shoulder as he'd stand on his own. "I'm not giving up, not until you've shown me the same level respect I've shown you."

"Respect? After what you did to me, you're expecting respect?"

"You don't come from a family of warriors, so I guess you wouldn't understand." Artorian grunted, planting his feet down as he recovered. "I'm not going down, not when you're just using the power you're using."

"If that's how you feel, then I'll end this in a more proper way." Making her claim, Claire would recall her canons, the six flashing in a bright light before turning into one massive rifle that the president would hold.

 _'Oh… she can transform her weapons too.'_ Artorian thought with a sigh.

"This is my Buster Canon. It has enough firepower to incapacitate Savage with a single shot if it hits directly." She said with a cocky smile. "It's unfortunate, but with this, the match is decided." A light then began to gather within the muzzle of the barrel, all of the experienced Slayers detecting the energy beginning to build up.

"Artorian, you don't have to continue!" Emile shouted over the earpiece. "You aren't in any condition to take a blast of that caliber! It could cause permanent damage if it hits you!"

"That all?" Artorian asked back as he was able to fully regain his breath, his strength slowly coming back to him as Claire readied her Hundred. "And here I thought the size meant something." Crouching down, Artorian prepped himself as he waited for Claire's attack to finish charging, the energy in his feet building up again as he narrowed his eyes.

 _'This much intensity… I can feel my body heating up…'_ He thought as he felt his heart begin to beat stronger, the adrenaline causing him to slowly ignore his pain. Even the voice of Emile was starting to sound silent as his body began to shake.

When the light finished gathering, Artorian's eyes widened in shock as he felt his body freeze before he took a step. _'Why… why can't I move?'_ He thought as he began to feel the heat swell in him, circling his chest before spreading across his body. _'This isn't adrenaline… what… what is it…'_

"This is the end, Artorian Abyssal!" Claire proclaimed as she fired the canon, a massive beam of green energy shooting out and flying right towards Artorian.

"Artorian move!" Emile called out, appearing scared as the boy's body refused to move.

"Get out of the way!" Reitia added in, standing up as she watched in shock over the president's move.

 _'It's over.'_ Matthew thought as he closed his eyes, knowing that Artorian's fight would end in a humiliating defeat.

Just as the beam was about to hit him, Artorian felt his conscious nearly blink out as he looked at the energy. And in the second he blinked when it reached him, his eyes turned gold, his pupil thinning like a predator's.

In what was deemed impossible, Artorian's whole body lunged into the air just over the beam. The speed and power in the action drawing in shocked expressions from both Claire and Matthew, the latter opening his eyes to see the spectacle just as Artorian went over the blast.

In the next fraction of a second, Artorian was right in front of Claire, having preformed a somersault and about to bring his sword down right on top of her. Claire was barely able to react in time and released her canon, dodging back and watching as he cleaved the canon in half.

When he landed on the ground, Artorian looked up and glared at her with ferocity, his eyes wide in rage as he rushed at her. The president would focus all her energy to her feet just to avoid his wild and intense swings, his speed drastically superior to just moments ago.

 _'Impossible! Where did this speed come from!?'_ Claire thought as she ducked under a thrust of his blade, striking Artorian's chin in an uppercut before kicking his chest. The force pushed him back, but he showed no signs of damage as he instantly locked eyes with her, the traces of his energy leaking out of his conduits.

"If you're going to give it your all, then allow me a better taste of my own power!" Lunging back, Claire would watch and follow Artorian's movements as he lunged from one side to another, jumping high into the air and preparing another somersault attack.

As he used his energy to push him down and fly right at her, Claire summoned her Buster Canon and aimed the muzzle up, the energy charging instantly with him just right in front of her. "I won't miss you this time!"

"Claire! At this range you'll risk killing him!" Liddy shouted from her desk.

 _'Most likely. But if this current state Artorian is in is any different than he was a minute ago, then I can't hold anything back to take him down!'_

"Eat this, Artorian!" Just as his sword was about to hit her, Claire fired her canon at full power, the beam even larger than the first and sending him flying back.

Artorian would growl as his sword fought against the energy, him losing ground rapidly as he was pushed further into the air. Eventually his back struck against the energy barrier, the instant being all it took for Artorian to shift his body and cut out vertically.

In that single swing, a slash of energy escaped from his sword and began to cut right through Claire's beam, the attack getting closer to her as the seconds went by. She was just able to dissipate the attack before it had cut her, but she was caught in a state of shock when he appeared in front of her again, his sword in mid swing right towards her.

 _'H-How is this possible?'_ Even Matthew was staring in shock as time seemed to slow, Artorian's swing slowly approaching the Queen. _'He didn't have nearly this much energy control a second ago, and he was struggling to stand up after her beams managed to swarm him!'_

 _'This is… how could I possibly get pushed back by him?'_ Claire would question, her eyes narrowing as started to overtake her. _'No, I am the Queen of Little Garden! I will not be defeated by someone who has just received their Hundred!'_

Just before Artorian's blade would strike her, the light exploded out and covered the area around them. When it dimmed, Claire was revealed with red armor covering the entirety of her arms and legs, a set of thrusters appearing on her back as well. Claire had forgone the handicap placed for Artorian, activating her Full-Body Armament to battle against him.

With her full power now on display, Claire was able to boost into the air, completely avoiding Artorian's swing. "Come forth, my Petals!" She'd say as the top of her thrusters opened up. A dozen small gun pods, her Petals, then came flying out from the thrusters and began to surround Artorian.

The Slayer growled as his eyes tried to follow the Petals, swinging out and blocking the incoming beams from each one as best he could. The small pods however were able to swarm him completely, eventually getting dozens of shots in that he was unable to block.

 _'The hell…'_ As the beams began to hit him more and more, Artorian's eyes slowly transferred back to his natural blue from the gold, the pain of the attacks snapping him out of the crazed daze he was in. When he was fully aware of his surroundings, his eyes widened considerable and he used what power he could muster to boost himself into the sky, seeing his opponent flying over him and preparing his sword to strike her.

At this point he was relying on his instincts, a mistake on his part as the Petals followed him and shot at his left hand. With the swarm following, he was unable to protect himself and his sword was lost from his grip, falling to the ground and impaling into the dirt.

 _'This is my opening!'_ Claire thought as she cut the power to her thrusters and landed on the ground, the armor on her legs extending out to act as stabilizers as she summoned her Buster Canon. With her Full-Body Armament activated, the canon was easily twice the size as it was before, charging higher levels of energy at a quicker rate.

With him in the air, Artorian would be unable to even dodge away from the attack. And with his sword now out of his possession, a counterattack like before would be impossible to occur again.

"This is the end!" She shouted as she aimed her Buster canon up and fired the full power, the beam double that of what she had fired at Artorian previously.

Without the chance to dodge, Artorian did the only thing he could and placed the shield out in front of him, crossing his arms in an attempt to protect himself. And while the shield did block the initial impact, it could do nothing to survive the beam of energy and was destroyed in seconds. Artorian would feel the full brunt of the attack begin to burn at his skin, his armor shattering and leaving him without any defense.

The beam lasted for several seconds, having overtook Artorian and shattered the energy barrier above them completely. And when it was finally over, Artorian fell to the ground, collapsing next to where his sword had landed.

Seeing him remain motionless on the ground for several seconds, Claire would take a breath, deactivating her Full-Body Armament as the scoreboard showed Artorian's Vitality was at the critical level. And with that result brought, Claire was declared the winner.

"Artorian!" Emile shouted as he jumped out of the stands and into the arena, running after his downed friend. Erica and Liddy were both quick to join him, a medical team running out to aid the downed student.

"Not yet…" Claire and everyone else were then shocked as Artorian suddenly spoke up, struggling to move as he began to push himself up. "I'm not… done… yet…" In the process of getting up, blood could be seen where Artorian had placed his hands down, drawing everyone's attention to see his injuries. At first there appeared to be no damage, but taking a second look everyone realized in shock that his gloves were destroyed, and his arms from his elbows down were burned to the extent his skin blackened and cracked. The blood was most likely from the skin on his palms ripping off, showing just how severe the burns were.

"Artorian, stand down." Erica tried to reason, taking a few steps toward the boy. From the way he was shaking, she could tell he was experiencing a severe rush of adrenaline, the intense battle and injuries he suffered making him unable to be aware of what was going on. "The battle is over, you don't need to continue fighting."

"Like hell it… is." Artorian grunted as he reached for his sword, wincing in pain as he tried to grab the hilt as it resulted in his hand ripping more skin. "I won't… let it end here." He'd continue, preparing himself as he reached down to the blade of his sword, angling his pal with the edge. Before anyone could reach and stop him, Artorian cut the burnt skin off, the pain almost making him collapse.

"Artorian please stop!" Emile begged as he got close to Artorian, grabbing his arm to stop him from picking up the sword. "You've done enough! There's no need to keep pushing yourself!"

"She finally recognizes my strength." Artorian was able to mutter out, confusing Emile as he looked up to Artorian's face. "I can't… won't let it end… here. Not while I still have to… fight."

"No, you don't." Claire spoke up, getting everyone's attention as she disabled her Hundred. "This match is my loss. I broke the rule I placed on myself and activated my Full-Body Armament. I cannot accept a victory when I had violated the restrictions set for the match."

"She's right Artorian." Liddy responded. "Under the stipulations of the duel, she was disqualified the moment she activated her full power. You won and the students expulsion will be revoked."

"I didn't agree to that damn rule!" Artorian shouted, pushing Emile away while pulling the sword out of the ground to point it at Claire. "I refuse to accept a victory on the grounds of a damn disqualification! So turn on that Hundred back on, and fight me!"

"You're delusional." Claire stated. "The pain you're in right now is messing with your thinking, you must stand down if we're to treat you properly."

"Actually, he's fully aware of his surroundings." Everyone's attention then turned to Charlotte, who was walking over to the group casually. "His body's just more capable of dealing with intense pain that he doesn't know when exactly he should stop moving."

"If I can move, I can fight." Artorian responded.

"Artorian, if you try to fight her, you're going to lose." Charlotte said, reaching into her lab coat as she approached him.

"I'd rather lose with both of us going at our all than win on accountability!" Looking back over to the Queen, Artorian narrowed his eyes as he attempted to spread his legs, barely moving them as he couldn't risk falling over. "It took that whole fight to get you to recognize me as an actual opponent, I won't let either of us have victory until one of us is completely unconscious."

"I see you're not going to let this go." Charlotte sighed, shaking her head once she was at Artorian's side. "Since you're both refusing to accept victory, how about we have this officially end as a draw? That way, the duel doesn't have an actual winner, and we can avoid a potential fatality."

"I'm willing to accept that." Claire would state, looking over to Artorian. "And what about you? Would you settle with this being a draw?"

"A rematch." Artorian spoke, confusing everyone as his Hundred was deactivated and the Variable Stone fell to the ground. "Not now, but one day… when I've gotten stronger and recognized as your equal. We have a rematch to decide which of us is actually stronger."

Hearing him give a sensible response, Claire would smile and nod, the two sharing a determined glance. "Should you prove yourself able to match my skill and strength, I will accept any challenge you have."

"Good." Artorian completely relented as he looked over to the medical team. "All right then, I'll stand down and leave here willingly."

"We'll bring you to the hospital right away." The lead on the team said, pulling up a holo pad as he approached Artorian. "We'll need to apply proper treatment before we reach there however, so we'll need to render you unconscious so that the injections to prolong your arms' cell decay can take affect."

"Excuse me, did you say you needed me unconscious?" Artorian questioned, taking a step back as if to defend himself. "Sorry, but there's no way that's going to happen."

Expecting his defensiveness, Charlotte looked over to Liddy and Erica, the two picking up on it and preparing themselves to move at a moments notice.

"Sir, it'll be a simple sedative, you'll be unconscious and receiving treatment before you even realize it." The medical chief said, pulling out a syringe as he did. The sight of the needle was all Artorian needed to attempt to jump back in an attempt to get away.

"Restrain him!" Charlotte ordered, and in that moment Liddy and Erica tackled him from behind, attempting to hold him down while the medic tried to administer the sedative.

"Fucking let go of me!" Artorian screamed as he fought against the vice presidents, getting an arm free and swinging it at the medic. "Keep that shit away from me! You're not putting me to sleep!" While he didn't hit the man, he knocked the syringe out of his hand and onto the ground, shattering it.

"Emile, hold his shoulders down." Charlotte responded, confusing him until he saw the scientist pull out her own syringe. Knowing that she was aware of this happening, Emile did what he was told and knelt down next to the downed boy, pushing down on his shoulders with his right forearm and grabbing his free arm with his left.

"Calm down Abyssal!" Liddy ordered as she and Erica managed to get a knee each on his back, managing to contain him easier with the vantage.

"Fuck that!" He barked back as he desperately fought against them. "You don't understand what you're doing! I can handle the pain of the injections, this whole thing is shit!"

"It'll be over quicker if you stop fighting." Erica stated as the three were able to hold him in place, giving Charlotte the opening to kneel down and aim the needle for a vein.

"Emile, you can't let them do this!" Artorian shouted as he looked up to the white haired student. "Please, I'm not ready yet. I can't face them…"

"I promise it'll all be over in a second, just please calm down and…" Emile started to respond before he looked down, seeing the fear and desperation in Artorian's eyes. It was then he realized that Artorian wasn't sounding like demands, but rather begging.

"Keep him still Emile." Charlotte said as she pierced into Artorian's arm, noting Emile's confusion. "Don't worry Artorian, I promise it won't last for long. Just a few hours is all it will take."

"It's never a few hours." Artorian said in a quiet voice, his eyes closing as he embraced himself for what was to come. It was then that Emile was able to feel his fearful shaking, his eyes widening as he saw a tear escape from Artorian's eyes.

It didn't take long for the sedative to take effect, and with it the boy was unconscious in a few seconds. And with him now under, the medical team was able to take him away from the arena and head to the hospital.

The whole sight had shocked the entire audience and almost everyone on the ground. Artorian's struggle against the sedative came out of nowhere and resulted in a display none were expecting.

Out of everyone who saw it, the display surprised Claire the most, who stared at the exit where the boy was taken off by a stretcher. She had fought against him and in the entire fight he had never displayed an instant of fear. But the mere idea of being sedated terrified him to retaliate and struggle when he had no strength left. It left a bad taste in her mouth as another unknown was shown by him.

And until he woke up, she wouldn't be able to get a single answer from him.


	5. Signs of a Curse

"Remind me again why we're in the hospital?" Reitia asked as she and Matthew walked through the hospital halls.

It had been a couple hours since the duel between Artorian and Claire, and since then the former has been recovering at the top floor of the hospital. A section that was meant for critical conditions or high value patients.

But the two weren't currently heading that way, rather being on the second floor. "Artorian's been unconscious for several hours now, and according to Claire he's being kept sedated for an undisclosed amount of time. According to the profile he sent Little Garden, he has a close friend by the name of Karen Kisaragi staying here. I figured it'd be best to explain to her why he didn't visit before the hours ended."

"Doesn't that mean we shouldn't be here either?" Reitia brought up, yawning as she did. "It's late, we should be getting some sleep, not walking around the hospital for someone we don't know."

"I'm a part of Selectives, I have a few extra privileges that most students here don't." He said, the stopping outside Karen's room before looking down to Reitia. "Besides, someone would have had to inform her anyways so I volunteered to."

"That's a little out of character for you."

"Apparently Karen is the only reason that Artorian had applied to become a Slayer." He continued, holding his PDA up to the sensor, sliding the door open after it accepted his code. "I wish to meet her so that I can better understand his motives."

"That, that is more like you." Reitia commented as they walked in, her eyes widening in shock when she saw the girl. As she was playing a videogame on her bed's station, Reitia took note of her thin and frail body.

"She contracted Severance around ten years ago." Matthew detailed as he saw his partner's shocked gaze. "The disease hit her hard, you probably can't tell by looking at her, but she's 16."

Karen then looked up from her game to the two, Matthew elbowing Reitia to stop her staring. "Um… who are you?" Karen asked before she recognized their uniforms. "You're students?"

"Yes, pardon us for the intrusion." Matthew responded as he bowed lightly. "My name is Matthew Ornisium, I'm a first year student here and Artorian's classmate."

"I'm Reitia Saintemillion, I'm also a first year." Reitia spoke herself, trying her best not to stare at Karen's frail form.

"I'm sorry to say we aren't here under the best of terms." Matthew explained, looking back up after their introduction. "Earlier today Artorian had a duel with Claire, the student president, and suffered injuries after the battle ended."

"Is he okay?" Karen asked in concern, leaning forward in her bed towards the two.

"Fortunately, he didn't suffer any fatal injuries in the fight. However, he did take a full power attack from Claire and is currently being treated for burns across his arms. He'll have burn scars but once he wakes up he has the option to heal them should he wish to."

"Thank goodness." Karen sighed in relief, closing her eyes as she was glad that Artorian was okay. The relief however left her as she realized what Matthew had said and looked up to him. "Wait, did you say he was asleep?"

"Yeah, his injuries weren't horrible but for them to be treated he needed to be sedated." Reitia said. "He's still out, but I'm sure the procedure is done by now."

"Oh no!" Both students were confused at Karen's outburst, the girl looking to them desperately. "How long has he been asleep!?"

"About five hours, although he's being kept sedated until tomorrow morning." Matthew answered, raising an eyebrow as Karen looked more distraught. "Is something the matter?"

"The stuff you gave him won't last that long!" Karen then began to try and move herself to the side of her bed, desperation on her face.

Both Matthew and Reitia were quickly to her side, stopping her while also being careful not to hurt her. "Whoa hold up there! You're not supposed to move like that."

"What do you mean what they put in him won't last?" Matthew asked, looking to Karen. "The most advanced medical equipment is here. Even with his father's blood the sedative will keep him down for a few hours."

"There's… there's something else." Karen admitted. "You have to believe me! Something bad is in Artorian; he wakes up screaming in terror and gets violent if I'm not there when he wakes up!"

While Reitia was skeptical at the idea, finding someone like Artorian affected by a potential nightmare, Matthew nearly froze in place. He looked down to Karen with widened eyes. "He… he inherited it from his father?"

"Inherited what?"

"I'm… not allowed to say what." Karen admitted. "Artorian says bad things could happen if the wrong person finds out." She then looked over to Matthew, pleading as she spoke. "My cards said someone who knew would come, you must have an idea what's going to happen if I don't get to him."

"Matthew?" Reitia asked, looking to her friend. "What is she talking about?"

"Reitia, get her into her wheelchair, I need to make a few calls." Matthew said as he released Karen, making Reitia have to carry her while pulling out his PDA. He was quick to his contacts and called Erica, knowing the vice-president was the most likely to answer.

 _"Hello Matthew, is there something that you-"_

"Where are you?" The student interrupted, the urgency in his voice getting to Erica instantly.

 _"In the lobby for floor 10 with Liddy. Claire wished to check in on Artorian's condition."_ Erica answered.

"Okay, that works." Matthew stated, looking out the door to see the hall clear. "Listen Erica, Artorian is about to wake up with fury. If you and Liddy don't get in there to help Claire contain him, we're going to be dealing with a threat of a Trenta Savage in the confines of this hospital."

 _"Understood, any more information for us?"_ Erica asked, Matthew hearing her and Liddy already on the move through the lobby door.

"Avoid letting him get up, keep him on the bed until I arrive with Karen Kisaragi." He added, turning back to see Reitia put the mentioned girl in her autonomous wheelchair. "She will be able to solve the situation, but he has to be contained for it to work."

 _"We're on it."_ And with that confirmation, Matthew and Erica hung up, the boy keeping an eye on Karen.

"You afraid of moving quick on that thing?"

"It's my first time without Miharu, but I'll do my best!" Karen responded.

"Good, we don't have much time if he has that in him."

* * *

"What are you Artorian?" Claire spoke to herself as she stood next to Artorian, the boy appearing bothered as he rested. "Only a few hours of experience with your Hundred and you managed to back me into a corner after being on the verge of defeat."

She then looked to his bandaged arms, the extent of his injuries from their battle. "Not only that, but my full power didn't knock you unconscious and you left with your arms still intact. If a Savage were hit with as much power as you were, it wouldn't be left standing."

As the student president thought to herself, the door to the room opened, Emile walking in. "Hey Artorian, just checking in on you again…" Emile started to say, stopping as he saw the president and instantly becoming hostile instantly. "What are you doing here?"

"Making sure that Artorian's treatment was properly done." Claire responded, looking back to Emile.

"Am I supposed to just believe that?" Emile questioned as he walked up to Claire, glaring heatedly. "You're the reason he's in here in the first place. All because you activated your Full-Body Armament against someone who just got his Hundred yesterday!"

"I am aware of my actions Emile, you are not stating anything I haven't taken accountability for." Claire said calmly, which caused Emile to get even more heated. "That is the very reason I came here. I put a student in critical condition because I underestimated him and panicked. I wished to see his condition and make sure there was no permanent damage."

"You burnt his arms to a crisp! Even if we can remove the scars, his nerves must have been burned out!" Emile growled as he tightened his fists. "That's pretty permanent damage if you ask me." While Emile's anger was taking precedence in the room, Artorian's face flinched, a spike of pain running through him.

"We are capable of treating lost nerves Emile, his whole time here was about that." Claire kept her calm demeanor, but returned Emile's furious glare with a cold one. "As for my part in the damage, that is the very reason I take concern in this."

"I seriously doubt that. I bet the only reason you're here is to-"

"Stop…" Artorian groaned as he winced, the two Slayers stopping their argument to look at him.

 _'His sedatives are wearing off? It hasn't been long enough.'_ Claire thought while Emile ran to Artorian's side, crouching to be more leveled with him.

"You're okay!" He cheered, before back tracking as Artorian winced more sharply, breaking into a cold sweat.

"Please… stop…" He gasped in pain, his body twitching as his face scrunched in agony.

"Artorian?"

"Something isn't right, he shouldn't be waking up." Claire stated as she walked up next to Emile, who looked up to her. "What's more the procedure was a success, he should be in pain like he is."

"Look away… from it." Artorian mumbled, sounding clearer as he clenched his hands on the sheets. "Look away, for it… it…" Black mist then began to escape from Artorian's skin, Claire and Emile stepping back in shock as Artorian's eyes snapped open. "It stares back!"

As the black mist continued to spread, Artorian's eyes began to glow bright red, appearing derange as he stared at the two. The Slayers' instincts kicked in the moment his eyes opened and the two moved quickly, grabbing ahold of his arms as he began to thrash his body.

"Artorian, calm down!" Emile shouted, struggling to keep his arm down as he bucked furiously.

"Stand down Artorian!" Claire ordered as she herself was having difficulty keeping Artorian down. During their duel she was aware of the physical differences between them, but with the two of them she thought it would be easier to contain him.

 **"RRAAAAAAGH!"** As his thrashing was getting more intense, his screaming increased in volume along with his eyes glowing brighter. The intensity of the mist then went up as well, covering his body but evaporating shortly after leaving it.

"Claire!" Erica shouted as she and Liddy got through the door, both freezing as they saw the mist emanate a demonic presence around Artorian. The presence was formless, but the sharp and vile red eyes in it seemed to stare back at the two, a black line slowly forming below.

 _'This energy, it feels so… evil.'_ Erica thought in shock, unable to come up with a better description as the line became jagged line it was outlining sharp teeth. As it was slowly gaining form, the two's attention was brought to the eyes, the bright color pulling all of their focus. The two were almost unable to pull their gazes away, the presence nearly forming into that of a beast.

"Erica! Liddy!" But as its mouth was about to open, Claire's shouting snapped them back into reality, the presence disappearing while the mist remained. "We need assistance restraining Artorian!"

"R-Right!" The two shook their heads, getting the image of the beast out of their heads before rushing to the bedside. Without their variable suits or Hundreds, using their energy would be impossible. But with the numbers they have, keeping the possessed student down was much more doable, his thrashing barely getting any grounds as they struggled against him.

They were fighting to hold him down for almost five minutes, and as they were feeling him begin to push back more Karen called out to them, Matthew and Reitia entering the room before she rolled in. "Everyone let him go! And don't look at the mist!"

The four holding him down looked back at the girl in confusion, wondering what she could possibly be thinking. But as she rolled up to the bed, Matthew shouted as he closed his eyes. "Just let him go before he throws one of you out the damn window!"

Despite their better judgment, the four all released Artorian and quickly retreated back to the others, allowing him to kick off the bed and land on his feet. The ground began to slowly crack as the mist around him picked up in intensity, an animalistic growl escaping his throat as Karen approached him.

"Artorian, it's me. I'm here now, you don't have to worry." Karen said as she reached into her sleeve, not showing any fear as Artorian bared his teeth at her, his eyes wide in pure malice. "It can't hurt you now, it will be warded off in just a moment." Pulling her hand out, Karen revealed a silver pendant in her hand, and almost by instinct Artorian shot his hand out and grabbed her hand.

His grip was painfully tight, but she let off no more than a whimper. Artorian's beastly growls continued as his face was now an inch from her face, his body slowly being lost by the mist. All that was clear to see was his eyes, giving her the confidence to stare back and smile at him.

The pendant then began to glow bright with a white light, the mist around Artorian's arm being instantly destroyed by its radiance. The light then spread out in a dome, pushing the mist completely away from him and burn it away into nothing. And as the last of it disappeared, Artorian's eyes slowly transformed back to its natural blue.

His senses then returned to him, and he realized that he was leaning down to Karen, holding her hand tightly. The first thing he did was release her hand, showing the pendant as the light returned to it and died out. Shock mixed with relief filled Artorian as he moved his hands to cup Karen's face, his eyes looking for any kind of injury.

"I… I didn't… did I?" He could barely say, his voice rough from the shouting and growling.

Karen however knew what he was trying to ask, shaking her head as she continued to smile at him. "No, nothing bad happened. The dreams didn't come true, you're still free."

Utter relief came from him as he collapsed to his knees in front of her, his hands now on her shoulders as he looked down. He was shaking as he laughed lightly, the presence of tears in his eyes as he struggled to balance everything that he had saw with what was real.

 _'The visions this time, they…'_ He thought as he looked up to Karen. For a brief second he saw the last vision he had, her bloody body on the ground with his twisted and deformed body standing over her. Her still beating heart in his grasp as he let out a monstrous roar.

 _'They're feeling too real.'_

* * *

"So it's starting to weaken the effects of drugs." Charlotte commented as she stood next to Artorian, the boy now restrained on the bed by metal bars. It had been an hour since his outburst, and since then he was on lockdown until Charlotte could speak to him.

"Even the ones capable of keeping down Lords won't keep me under for longer than a few hours." He said, looking over to the window. "Did I hurt anyone?"

"Aside from Karen's hand suffering some bruises no one was injured." She said, getting a painful twitch from him. "We'll talk about this more when we're in a more secure environment. For now we have to remain as we should; how are your arms?"

Artorian looked down to the mentioned limbs, the bandaging around now removed to expose the reddened skin. "Mostly alright, touch feels a little off but other than that there isn't any problems."

"Your nerves are still recovering, but they'll be back to 100% in another hour." Charlotte informed, looking to his burns. "We can get rid of the scars if you want, I'll preform the operation myself so that you don't have to go under."

"Nah, I think I'm good." He responded, giving a dry chuckle as he looked over to the short doctor. "I've always heard chicks dig scars, so why risk the chance to catch a few more's gaze?"

Charlotte than sighed with a smile as she looked to the side. "You're just like your father in that way. You better be careful with that attitude or you might end up attracting dozens of girls' attention like he did."

"I'm pretty sure I already have a few looking at me." He said, rolling his shoulders in mild discomfort. "Hey Charlotte, can you deactivate the restraints? I feel like a log right now."

"Well technically you're to stay locked like that for three hours, but when have I been good at following those kinds of rules?" She asked rhetorically as she pulled out a remote and deactivated the locks, allowing Artorian to push the bars away and sit up.

"Ah, that's better." He sighed as he stretched his arms. "Gotta say, this place has a real way of making people feel at home. Seriously, a 10/10 from me."

"I take that as your admission that you're breaking out?" Charlotte asked as he stood up.

"Yeah, that'd probably be right." He shrugged, walking over to the corner where his clothes were laid out. "But that's also probably the sign that you walked out before the idea of busting out was ever considered."

"Are you sure, I don't even recall you saying that." Charlotte smirked as she pulled a lollipop out from her pocket, unwrapping it and placing it in her mouth before waving. "Try not to get caught right away, it'll look bad on both of us if you do."

"Right." He said as he took off his hospital gown, putting his boxers and pants on first.

"And your sword and Hundred are both back in your room. I figured you could live the walk back without it in your hands." She finished saying before walking out, Artorian putting his shirt on as she did.

With it on, Artorian simply slipped his shoes on before looking up to the mirror placed in the room. Seeing his right eye glow red for a second he tightened his fists before blinking, the light vanishing as soon as it came.

"Someone was staring at it for too long." He spoke as he looked away, recalling his last moment of control before the Abyss took over. He then rubbed the eye as he walked out the door. Getting out of the hospital took a bit of finesse, but since it was so late into the night he didn't need to worry about being caught.

Before leaving he was sure to pay a quick visit to Karen, giving a light kiss on her forehead while she slept as thanks for stopping the Abyss. He had trusted her with the pendant solely because he believed she was the only one who'd be close enough to give it to him to use it. But she stunned him at how she was capable of preforming the feat herself after holding it only once. The process that had happened earlier was routine for the two now, although it would become more intense each time.

Once he left, Artorian went right to his and Emile's room, entering without turning on the lights. Despite the darkness, he was able to see Emile passed out on the bed, sleeping peacefully. That caused him to chuckle, walking past and grabbing his sword. With the blade in hand, he turned to leave, pausing to look at the Hundred on his nightstand.

He had almost considered bringing it, but passed the opportunity and walked out, closing the door silently to avoid waking his roommate. From there he walked out to Little Garden's park, seeing no one out with him.

"Complete silence, no one around to watch, open area to really move around… perfect." He commented as he held his sword out with both hands, getting into a readied posture. Swinging his sword in a wide arc, Artorian followed it by releasing one of his hands before swinging up.

With him unable to sleep, Artorian would focus the entire night on training his body. He knew he wouldn't have much time in the day, making night the perfect time to do so. And even then he knew he would be losing that opportunity as well, work likely taking over most of his time. So he'd make good with the time he had, regardless of his body's current condition.

He was swinging his sword with intensity, the wind picking up after each slash went out. Nearly an hour went by before he swung high and wide, stopping instantly as he saw someone in the way of the swing.

"My, you're quite lively aren't you?" Matthew asked, the edge of Artorian's sword just an inch away from his cheek. He was completely calm, not even considering the blade's presence. "Everyone thought you would remain in that hospital for at least another day given your outburst."

"Charlotte allowed me to leave early." Artorian answered as he retracted his sword and rested it on his shoulder. "My outburst was an expected action, the only thing that went wrong was me waking up early. I'm sure you get that considering you ran in with Karen."

"She was quite adamant on heading to you right away, her resolve was commendable given her condition." Matthew shrugged. "And with someone afflicted with the Abyss so close, any chance to quell it was important. If you trusted her with the Silver Pendant, then I suppose my judgment was correct then."

"So you're going to confront me on that?" Artorian asked, not surprised at Matthew's knowledge of the Abyss. "I guess I should have expected this, your boss has been trying to figure me out since the ceremony, hasn't she? Did you tell her?"

"No, I'm not dumb enough to let something as disastrous be known to her. I have no doubt she'd activate her Hundred and hunt you to the ends of the earth if she learned of it now." Matthew admitted, getting a nod from Artorian. "She takes her duty as Slayer seriously, and it doesn't matter if it's a Savage or another monster, she'll take down anything that threatens her comrades."

"And what about you? You must have your own opinion on what's dwelling in me."

"I see a flame, black and twisted as the entity it comes from." Matthew stated. "But also as powerful and potent as the flame that gave Lords life. The Abyss has been used in the past, to defeat the Savage when they appeared centuries ago. Despite what humanity has come to believe, the threat is not a new or unexpected one. The Lords have known about them since we first battled for their sake."

"True, we didn't call for the Abyss, but the desperation called for harnessing it. And it paid off, as we stopped the first invasion with an army using its power." Matthew continued on. "And I know better than even Judal himself what the Savage are capable of. We cannot risk allowing more hosts of the Abyss to exist, but with your born affliction you should possess more than enough to power."

"An interesting position from someone with a much more flashy power." Artorian responded, smirking as he regarded the Slayer. "I recall your power was just as useful in that invasion, if I recall yours was used to completely immobilize and open the bastards up."

"So, your father told you." Matthew said, not even questioning it.

"Even if he didn't die during the invasion at Yamato, he likely only had a few more years of sanity." Artorian explained, twisting his blade and stabbing it into the ground to lean his elbow against it. "He told me everything when I was five, he said it was better to get it out of the way instead of waiting for the last minute. He wasn't the patient sort, nothing like your father."

"You're aware of my lineage even?"

"Even if he didn't mention him by name, your last name is Ornisium, are you surprised I know?"

"No, it matches up with the way Artorias would act." Matthew sighed, shaking his head. "So now that we clearly know of each other's identities, what would you have to say about our current situation?"

"I'd damn well say it was bound to happen." Artorian admitted. "It's what our two families have been doing for generations isn't it? Fighting an endless battle that we clearly know we'll have to pass on. Our fathers were just the unlucky ones that got caught up in it too far apart from each other. And now that we're here, looks like you'll have the same job as he was supposed to."

"You're aware that means I will slay you should you prove unable to control the Abyss anymore?"

"No one else I trust with the job." Artorian shrugged. "That Silver Pendant can only help me for so long, I honestly have no idea how long I have. So I'd rather have the top two Slayers on this boat with their sights on me. That way, you'll be able to react quick enough if it eventually takes me."

"You're rather casual on this, you're talking about your life being ended for just a lack of control."

"That lack of control turned my father into a monster and almost made him kill me." Artorian responded coldly, looking down as he thought of the distant memory. "I have a promise to keep, so I'll be fighting to my last thought against the Abyss' pull on me. But I'd rather be killed than even move a muscle towards Karen with it in complete control."

"A noble sentiment, that's the same drive a knight has." Matthew commented as he turned away, beginning to walk away. "Should it come down to it, I will fulfill your desire. Until then, don't disappoint and slay as many Savage as you can. It'd be a shame if you failed to live up to your potential."

"Precocious bastard." Artorian muttered as he kicked and twisted his blade back up onto his shoulder. "I don't need you reminding me what's expected of me." He'd then resume his training, the conversation running through his head as he did.

 _'To actually think him of all people would keep that a secret from her.'_ He thought, placing both hands on his blade's handle. _'Charlotte must trust him enough to not even confront him on it. He's confident and experienced, so that faith has ground. So I'll follow it too, he'll do his job when it comes.'_

Meanwhile at the same time, Matthew thought on his own about the interaction with Artorian. _'The effects of the Abyss are already completely gone from him, it's like he wasn't even possessed an hour ago. Not even his father had that kind of compatibility, this is completely unheard of.'_

 _'However, while his body has been shown to handle it, his mind has clearly been affected by the constant use. I don't imagine his mind will be capable of handling its influence for a few more years.'_ He concluded, looking up to the moon as he did. _'But that still leaves a question. No signs of the Abyss were shown during his duel, so what helped him narrow the gap between him and Claire? And could it effect the Abyss as well?'_

* * *

After the long night of training, Artorian returned to the dorms to wash up before the day really began. The bath that Emile brought up was as good as he let on, and when he was done Artorian felt like all his fatigue was gone.

"Yo Emile, you were right about the bath." Artorian spoke up as he opened the door, giving a sort of warning before he entered. "The water really did the trick, I haven't felt this good in years." When he didn't get a response, he looked to see that Emile was absent from the room; surprising considering it was still relatively early in the day.

"Huh, wonder where he could've run off to." He muttered as he walked over to his bed and sat down, getting a good look at the room as he did.

 _'I wonder how different he is now from back then. Aside from the obvious anyways.'_ He'd think to himself, looking back to the window with a somber gaze.

He was alone for only a few minutes before the door opened again, revealing Emile. The student paused when he saw Artorian sitting on his bed, seeming perfectly fine after the experience he had yesterday. "Yo Emile, surprised to see you woke up already."

"Artorian!" Emile said gleefully as he ran towards him, about to lunge out and hug him. He was stopped as Artorian flipped his blade and held the handle out, hitting it against his forehead. "Ow! What was that for?"

"What did I say about surprise hugs?" Artorian responded, standing up off the bed as he sighed. "What was even the big deal there? You just see me and suddenly you're in a hugging mood. It seriously confused me."

"Are you honestly surprised, you were knocked out for several hours, only to wake up like you were going through hell." Emile stated, concern on his face as he looked up to Artorian. "I tried talking to Char on it, but she wouldn't tell me anything. I was concerned the something bad might've happened to you."

"Right, you were in there when I went off." The older of the two groaned as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well you don't have to worry, that just happens sometimes. Once a month when I sleep I just have a bad episode is all, nothing big."

"If it wasn't something big Char would've explained it." Emile muttered as he looked down. He was disappointed that he wasn't trusted enough to know, even more so that it had to do with Artorian's health. But if neither would say anything he couldn't even understand what was happening.

Seeing Emile look down, Artorian scoffed as he rolled his eyes. "Don't give that look, it isn't going to get you anywhere with me." He then sighed before letting his shoulder sag down, relenting to an extent and placing his free hand on Emile's head. "Look, it's just with how I am there isn't a whole lot you can do. Even Charlotte's limited to how much she can help. We just don't want you worrying over something that can't be solved."

"If it comes up again, will you tell me?"

"Sure, why not. If it gets that bad again I'll tell you."

 _'Why the hell did I agree to that!?'_

"Okay, I'll drop it then." Emile said as Artorian took his hand off his head, letting him look up. "So how are you feeling?"

"Better than great." He grinned in response, shifting his sword back onto his shoulder. "I have a lot more stamina than you expect, so I was recovered from the fight by the time I woke up. And after the stress I built up I took a bath in the public one you told me about. That really hit the spot, even the soreness in my arms from training is gone."

"Wow, all the energy you exerted and you feel completely fine?" Emile questioned. "Man, and I went through the trouble to return the favor…"

"Hmm? What favor?" Artorian questioned, before noticing the bag in Emile's hand.

"For yesterday, when you brought me the juice pouch." Emile explained, reaching into the bag and pulling out a juice pouch. "I figured that once you got back you'd want something to bring your energy back, but I guess your just fine."

"Well, the thought's what counts, thanks buddy." Artorian responded.

"I guess…" Emile muttered, placing the pouch on Artorian's nightstand before looking back up to him. "Hey Artorian, did you want to go to central? We have the day off, and I figured you'd like the chance to relax."

"Central? That's where all the shops and restaurants are right?" Artorian asked, getting a nod from him.

"Yeah, I figured you would want to relax and get a view of the ship when it isn't night. We can go to some of the best spots and I can even buy you something to eat as thanks for fighting the president for me."

"See the ship when it isn't night, huh?" Artorian raised an eyebrow, not buying it for a second. He knew there was an ulterior motive, but he didn't call the boy out on it as he shrugged. "Why not, I could use a bit of a break after everything."

"Yes!" Emile cheered as he turned around, pumping his hands into the air. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"Guess you're more excited than I thought huh?" Artorian smirked, placing his free hand on his hip as he looked down to the energetic student. "You wouldn't be happening to use me as an excuse to just pig out at one of the places are you?"

"What, no not at all." Emile smiled, turning back to him. "I'm just excited to go on a date with you."

 _'Fucking called it you little shit.'_ He thought as he chuckled, admitting that he was at least glad Emile was honest.

* * *

"Wow, this place is a lot busier than I thought it would be." Artorian commented as he and Emile walked through central, both with a parfait in hand. They had both changed into their uniforms, and for the past two hours have been exploring the ship and enjoying the scenery. The giant screens around the town that he had seen at night were on and playing loud, pop music going on as if to brighten the mood more.

"Yeah, you'd almost forget that we're on a ship and not in one of the big cities." Emile added in, smiling brightly as they walked around.

"Hey can I ask you something? Are all of the stares bothering you?" Artorian questioned as he sent a secret glare to the crowd of people around. Almost all of them were staring at the two, a mixture of awe and excitement on them.

"I should be asking you that, after all they're looking at you." He responded. "If they weren't interested in that big sword of yours, they all were impressed by the fight you gave yesterday. I bet everyone who couldn't make it in the arena were watching it from their TVs."

"Is that so, huh?" Artorian hummed. He was used to getting stared at, it was common given his circumstances. But he felt the need to ask since he doubted Emile necessarily was used to the crowd gaze like he was.

"But enough about that, check this out." Emile spoke up, holding his banana and chocolate parfait up to him. "You need to relax, why not try a bite?"

"I mean, I already have one and…" Artorian started to argue, sighing as he already knew how this would go down if he continued. "Alright fine." He gave in, taking a bite from the top before looking away.

"So, did you like it?"

"It's okay… I guess."

"I know! Hey, let me try a bite of yours now!" Emile cheered, surprising Artorian as he took a bite from his blackberry parfait.

"Hey, just because both my hands are occupied doesn't mean I can't deck ya!" Artorian argued, having been too late to pull his treat away before Emile stole a bite.

"Mmmmm! The blackberry and vanilla really blend well, don't they?" Emile ignored his protest, enjoying the mixture of flavors.

"If you wanted a bite you didn't have to chomp at my arm for it, I'm not that foreign to sharing desserts."

"Wow, Abyssal and Crossfode seem really close." Artorian then mentally sighed as he heard someone in the crowd comment, knowing where this was leading.

"Well they are roommates after all, or even more than that!"

 _'Wow, only two days here and that's already an idea. Can't say I blame them.'_ He thought as he recalled most of his public interactions with Emile thus far. Their private ones weren't much better, but luckily there wasn't anyone aware of that to make accusations. _'Well, at least they're fun to poke fun at, even leading them on is better than letting it get to me.'_

"You want to head out and get some real food now Emile?" Artorian asked.

"Before we do, there's something I actually wanted to show you." Emile said, getting a nod from Artorian in response.

"Well lead the way then, you're my humble guide for this time."

Thirty minutes of walking went by before the duo made it to the front edge of the ship, where there was a beautiful sight of the skyline and ocean. Even someone who didn't care for such things like Artorian had to admit the sight was one to behold, signaling his surprise with a whistle.

"Wow, that's one hell of a view." He commented, staring out into the water. He then took notice of the dozen or so couples in the area, smirking knowingly before looking back down to Emile. "So you decide that a generic date spot would be perfect for the first date huh? Talk about trying to play it smooth man."

"Man, I'm almost surprised at how well you take that." Emile admitted, looking back to Artorian. "I know you messed with me back in our room on the first night, but I never thought you'd be so open to being on a date with a guy." He then looked away in slight embarrassment, his shoulders tensing as he spoke. "I mean, based on how you talked to the president I thought for certain you'd be into girls."

"Eh, who cares who I'm into?" Artorian shrugged. "To be honest, I don't really care that much either. If I like the person, why the hell should I care about other stuff like that?"

"Thanks Artorian… that means a lot." Emile smiled, looking over to the ocean. "I really wanted to bring you here, it's my favorite spot on the ship. And they say when the sun goes down, it's even more romantic."

"Guess we'll have to see when that happens then, huh?" He asked with a knowing smirk before his PDA started to ring. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled it out to see that Karen was calling. "Hey, mind waiting for a minute? I gotta take this?"

"Is it Karen?" Emile asked, getting a nod in return as he answered the call.

"Hey Karen, how are you doing?"

 _"Artorian, why didn't you tell me you left the hospital last night?"_ Karen asked in return, getting Artorian to tense up in realization.

"O-oh, well you know me, I've never been big on hospitals and so I sort of… I had permission I swear." Artorian tried to excuse himself, surprising Emile at how cautious he was.

 _"Everyone's been talking about you here and I got worried. A girl with purple hair told me you were okay, but I looked at my tarot cards to see if anything else was wrong."_

 _'Shit! Those damn cards!'_ Artorian thought in panic. _'If there's one thing worse than her lack of studying, it's how good she is with those damn things!'_

 _"And among the cards, I saw a threatening woman! You aren't with any girls right now, are you?"_ Artorian then paused as he looked over to Emile, confusing the boy as he tried to keep himself composed.

"…No?"

 _"Is that the truth? I heard hesitation."_

"…Yes?"

 _"Then would you mind if I came out and checked?"_

"Is Miharu okay with you going out of the hospital?" Artorian asked in return.

 _"Yes, she has permission."_ Miharu's voice came from over the phone, the nurse next to Karen as she looked through her cards. _"The only condition I can accept that though is that you're watching over her once she gets off the bus. I have a few other temporary patients to see to as we're understaffed today."_

Artorian then sighed as he shook his head, smiling as he responded. "Alright then, I guess I'll take her out of your hair for awhile to give you some breathing room."

 _"Artorian! Don't say that like I'm a bother!"_ Karen complained over the phone, getting a chuckle from him in return.

"Sorry, sorry. I'll see you in a few minutes I guess." Artorian apologized before hanging up. "Sorry if this throws a wrench into our date, but Karen wanted to come and meet you."

"Oh, I don't mind at all." Emile responded. "I didn't really get the chance to meet her yet, so this should be fun!"

* * *

"Well look at you, confident and rolling on out of that hospital like it's nothing." Artorian smiled as he saw Karen steer her wheelchair over to him and Emile from the bus. She was wearing he casual clothes, having been allowed to since earlier this morning. Thanks to the advancements of technology, her anatomy has already been keyed in and the need of the hospital gown is only for if her condition goes critical, something that none of the staff say is possible.

"I couldn't pass up the opportunity for fresh air." Karen smiled as she saw Artorian. The moment she spotted Emile however, her gaze went slightly narrowed as she pouted her lip. "Wait a second, I thought you said you were alone."

"…No." Artorian responded, keeping as better composer than before. "I never said I was alone, I just didn't say that Emile was here with me."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Karen, my names Emile Crossfode. I'm Artorian's roommate." Emile introduced himself.

"And you're a boy… interesting…" Karen said suspiciously, taking a close gaze at Emile, specifically his chest.

"Um… of course I am…" Emile responded, slightly off put by the comment.

"Then I'll get straight to the point. Do you find yourself attracted to "other" men?"

"Karen, that's rude." Artorian said, although not surprised at the question.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made an accusation like that." Karen said as the trios were now going through central. "Do you promise you're not trying to seduce my best friend?"

"Oh no, it isn't anything like that I swear." Emile said, brushing off the comment. "We're just really good friends and roommates is all. We like to mess around with each other, and unfortunately Artorian's way too good for me to catch him off guard."

 _'That's not how you were talking earlier.'_ Artorian thought as he smiled at the two's conversation.

"I suppose I'll believe you for now." Karen said before bringing her fingers up, curling them like claws. "But if you mess with Artorian I'll put a curse on you. Rawr! Rawr!"

"Karen I said no cursing people." Artorian warned, the three stopping as traffic moved on the road ahead.

"Fine…" Karen pouted. The pout only lasted for a few seconds as the sound of signing instantly brought her excitement back up and she looked to the screen on the building across the road. "Oh, that's Sakura!"

"Oh, that lip sinker you enjoy listening to?" Artorian asked, looking up to the screen to see the mentioned artist. Sakura Kirishima was a16-year-old girl with bright pink hair and matching eyes. In most of her concerts she wore a white and red kimono, all the bright colors actually hurting his eyes as he stared at her image on screen.

"She is not a lip sinker, how dare you!" Karen pouted as she pinched his arm, getting little reaction as she did. "She is an amazing pop singer, why can't you just admit that she's so gifted?"

"Nobody with that much pink can just sing like that. She's clearly just set up to be the next big thing." He responded. "But if you want my honest opinion, she at least isn't too painful on the eyes. Maybe without the hair dye and contacts she'd make a killer 8.5/10."

"That's her natural look, why must you always be so rude!?" She complained as she looked away, crossing her arms as she continued to pout.

"You know her next concert's going to be at the Zwei Islands tomorrow, that's pretty close to where we are." Emile commented, brightening the light in Karen's eyes.

"The Zwei Islands, that's so cool." She then looked over to Artorian, who flinched at her innocent stare and instantly broke.

"Darn it, don't give me that look." He said looking away. "Pop music hurts my head, and that's all she does. Are you seriously going to make me go to a whole concert just because you like a single pampered Idol?"

"Pleeeeeeeease?" Karen begged, messing with him even more.

"Fine, I'll see if I can get tickets." He relented, sighing as Karen cheered ecstatically.

"Yay!"

"I spoil you way too much, you know that?" He said before looking to Emile. "So, I think next on the list of things to do is lunch right? Aside from me having to get tickets."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Emile responded. "Is there anything you guys are in the mood for?"

"Hey Artorian, I actually have a place I'd like to try out." Karen spoke up, getting a smile from the two.

"Sure thing. You are the guest of honor now."

"Thank you!"

* * *

"You know, I'm not sure what I was expecting?" Artorian commented as the three walked into the cafeteria. It wasn't anything fancy; in fact most of the better seats were outside rather than in. Although at the far end Artorian saw Reitia and Matthew eating, the former seeing him and waving. He returned the wave reluctantly, him and Matthew sharing a sharp gaze at each other before returning to their current affairs.

"I've never been in one before, I was so excited that I have the chance to now." Karen smiled, looking at the holographic menu in front of them. "What do you think I should get? They have so many choices! Salisbury steak, and the shrimp looks amazing! Oh, and they even have pop stickers!"

"Hey, careful now. Too much of that kind of food and you'll get sick." Artorian warned, sounding concerned as he knew she'd try to eat all of it.

"But there's so many things I want to try here while I have the chance." Karen argued. "Oh, and please don't tell Miharu that I had so much please."

"If you have trouble I can help you eat it." Emile offered.

"That's okay, I'd rather Artorian helped me out. Hmph!" She responded, giving a pout as she looked away.

"Guess she hasn't exactly warmed up to you yet, huh?" Artorian asked, getting a nervous chuckle from Emile. "Okay Karen, I will allow you to have two things you want, we'll come back and you can try some more next time. Sound fair?"

"Yes!"

The three then ordered their food and took it outside, sitting down and moving the table around so that Karen could move in properly. Artorian then leaned his sword against the nearest table, resting it down as he went to his food.

Karen had decided on having Sirloin Steak with a side of fried rice, and the excitement and enjoyment on her face as she took her first bite brought smiles to the Slayers' faces. "This is amazing! The hospital food they bring me is okay but I've never had anything like this! It's so heavenly!"

"If you'd like to try some of my pasta, help yourself." Emile offered, placing a bit of his food onto her plate. Karen was reluctant, giving him a warning gaze before accepting the food, smiling in joy at the flavor. "So how was it?"

"It's fantastic!" She said without thinking, realizing who she was speaking to before looking away with a poker face. "This doesn't change anything, I'm still watching you!"

"Ooh, a swing and a miss." Artorian chuckled as he cut up a bit of his chicken and ate it. "That's two for zero on ya Emile, Karen's really working you to the bone today."

"Ah, there you are Artorian." The meal was then interrupted as Claire spoke up, the three turning to see her along with Erica and Liddy.

"Oh goodie, it's the president." Artorian mumbled, getting heard by Karen.

"President? So that blonde with the huge chest is the one that burned your arms like that?" Karen spoke as she gave Claire a warning gaze, appearing unaffected by the Slayer's presence.

"Karen, rude things are for me to say. You shouldn't speak like that when I'm present to do it for you."

"A little late for that though." Claire said, placing her hands on her hips as she regarded the two. "So is this foul mouthed girl the same girl you had instated to give treatment for."

"Yeah, that's her." Artorian responded simply, spinning his form as he regarded her.

"Artorian! You aren't supposed to agree to that!" Karen complained.

"I'm sorry, but I've been a horrible influence on you." He admitted, shrugging as he looked to her. "You can be pretty foul mouthed at times, although your leagues better than me still." He then turned back to Claire, giving her a dry stare as he pointed his fork at her. "And I'd reframe from saying such negative things about her. You haven't exactly given her a reason to respect you."

"And I… apologize for that. You injuries were solely my fault and I failed in my job as Student President." Claire stated, catching Artorian off guard.

"Oh… okay?"

"But if I may ask, what is the relation between you and…"

"Her name is Karen Kisaragi." A young boy's voice spoke up from behind Claire. The boy then walked around to reveal himself, appearing no older than 14 while wearing a formal middle schooler uniform. "She's the daughter of the deceased Hamaki and Matsuda Kisaragi and a childhood friend of-" Before the boy finished his sentenced, he jumped in fear as Artorian threw his fork just beside his cheek. It didn't even graze him, but the sound of it impaling into the building several meters behind him sent a shiver down his spine.

"Take that Sherlock deduction somewhere that doesn't have a paranoid Slayer with good aim." He warned, giving the boy a cold glare as he did.

"I-I'm sorry." He said in response, bowing as he did. "M-My name is Chris Steinbelt, a second year middle schooler and Ms. Claire's personal assistant."

"Boy toy, got it." Artorian instantly responded, leaning back as he did. "Didn't know you liked them young Claire, I'm shocked at this revelation."

"I-It is not like that you curd!" Claire stated. "He is a child genius and excellent at interfacing with Hundred statistics and Savage study." She said before calming herself, knowing that Artorian was trying to get to him. "But beside this, there is something that I wish to talk to you about."

"Oh this will be good." He chuckled as he stood up, grabbing his sword as he stepped up from the table. "What does the princess have to say to the low class peon knight in her service?"

"The… Student Council requires some help and you're the perfect man for the job."

"Hold on, why does Artorian have to help you with anything?" Emile argued as he walked next to him. "Everything was settled yesterday with the duel. He has no reason to have to help you in any way."

"Calm yourself, this is by no means mandatory." Liddy stated.

"We are only here to recruit him." Erica added in.

"I don't do butt stuff."

"Artorian…" Claire sighed heavily as she ignored his words, refusing to give him the satisfaction. "I invite you to join what we call Selections: a special unit under the Student Council."

"Okay, pretend I don't know what it is you do. I mean, besides scarring freshmen students anyways."

"You would follow direct orders from Warslran HQ." Erica explained. "You would still be a student here, but be expected to follow the duties of a fully realized Slayer. Going on missions set by the authority you serve under."

"These missions would include guarding facilities, bodyguard duty, and actual combat with Savages." Liddy added in.

"Combat with Savages." Artorian muttered as he tightened his free fist, Karen looking at him in concern as he kept himself composed.

"Due to the recent Savage Nest Elimination mission, we have too few active members to rely on." Erica informed. "Aside from ourselves, our only other active Slayer is Matthew, limiting us significantly."

"I will reiterate what Erica has said. Our condition is of importance, but a yes isn't necessary of you. However I believe in Noblest Oblige, I'm sure with your history you've heard of it. It means-"

"Those with power protect those who don't and all that noise. Yeah I've heard it." Artorian interrupted, shrugging as he did. "Honestly that knight oath tier stuff lost its taste years ago for me, I haven't thought much of fighting for the greater good. It's of no interest to me to die for the sake of someone I don't even know."

"So, then your answer is-"

"Let me finish." Artorian spoke again, stopping Claire from responding. "But there's two things that I desire more than anything else. Keeping Karen safe, and eliminating every one of those alien bastards off the face of this planet." His last words came with conviction, his eyes wide at the mere thought of the beasts. "They took nearly everything from me, and that's something I can't forgive. So I don't care for your Noblest Oblige, but if your signing me up to hunt Savage early than I'll gladly accept it."

"And I would gladly join forces with Artorian as well." Emile stated with equal conviction.

"Sadly, you don't meet our criteria." Liddy stated. "One has to be able to fight head on with a Savage and win, and you would just drag everyone down."

"Emile scoffed at the insult, seeing it as a challenge. "So you want me to face off with the President in a duel as well, is that it?"

Emile Crossfode, that was disrespectful!" Liddy responded, taking the attack on Claire as a personal insult.

"It doesn't have to be the President. How about you, Liddy Steinberg?" Emile offered. "That should be enough to prove my abilities to you."

 _'Here we go again.'_ Artorian thought while rolling his eyes.

"I doubt that."

"When do you want to suit up? I'm ready to suit up right now if you are." Emile challenged as he pulled his Variable Stone out, throwing it into the air and activating his Hundred. "Hundred On!"

"He has a dragoon type as well?" Claire questioned in surprise, seeing his Arms Shroud with the canons ready.

"So what do you say vice-president? Are you in, or out?"

"You'll learn your place." Liddy said as she pulled out her own Variable Stone. "Hundred On!" Throwing it to the side, her own Hundred formed for her, the javelin and shield even larger than it was in the footage Artorian saw of it.

"Liddy that's enough, you're going too far." Erica responded.

"Stay out of this, if we let these actions go uncorrected it will set a bad example." Liddy stated, getting a grin from Emile.

"That sounds more like it."

"Don't you dare consider firing one of those things Emile." Artorian warned, standing in front of Karen without hesitation. Claire was surprised at how quickly he moved to protect her, not even a second guess visible on him in face of a dragoon type.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of it." Emile said as he held his hand out. His canons then vanished as the buildup energy transformed into a white javelin matching Liddy's. "This seems more fitting doesn't it?"

"He changed the form of his whole Armament?" Both Erica and Claire were further shocked by the development, having never seen a Hundred do such a thing before.

"Get ready, because here I come!" Emile shouted as he charged Liddy, the vice-president readying for him as he approached. The moment before they collided however, they were stopped when Artorian's sword impaled the ground between them. They weren't able to react when they felt hands grip the back of their necks and push them face first into the ground.

"Under zero circumstances will there ever be a fight when Karen is present." Artorian warned further as he kept them held down, his grip on them tight to prevent their escape. "Do I make myself clear?"

 _'He moved this fast without a variable suit or Hundred on?'_ Liddy thought in shock as he effortlessly held the two of them in place. In the second she looked up to him, she saw the shadow of the presence she witnessed in the hospital, and she instantly froze in fear as it remained over him.

"I said, do I make myself clear!?" No one else could see the visage, and after a second it vanished from Liddy's sight as well.

Before either of the fighters could respond, everyone's attention was taken away as a siren went off. Hearing it, Artorian quickly stood back up and grabbed his sword, going over to Karen in a defensive position. _'An alert? At this time?'_

"Claire, we have an immediate order." Erica informed, looking down to her PDA.

At the same time, Matthew and Reitia rushed out of the cafeteria, running over to the group in a hurry. "We've got Savage incoming, we have to get to intelligence now." The former of the two said, getting an affirmative nod from Claire.

"We're moving out, Liddy disengage." Claire ordered, the vice-president deactivating her Hundred and getting up.

"Hold on, you're going after Savage?" Artorian questioned.

"It's an immediate response order, we don't have time to discuss things." The president stated. "You should all return to your rooms at once and wait till we've returned."

"Like hell, I'm going with you!"

"You are not in position to make demands Artorian. The offer will stand but for a mission so suddenly to occur we cannot allow it."

"Hold on Claire." Everyone's attention was again taken as Charlotte approached, appearing serious as she did. "You should bring Artorian and Emile with you."

"What was that?"

"Artorian, your first battle is at hand." Charlotte stated, looking over to him as she did. "This will not be a luck of the run mission, the Savage approaching are dangerous and will kill you if you lower your guard. Are you sure you want in?"

"Is there even a doubt?" Artorian responded, stepping up as he did. "A chance to get back at them for what happened, I've been waiting for the chance. My blood's boiling more than ever right now and it's screaming for the Savage."

"Very well. Let's go." Charlotte said, turning around and walking away.

"You know I'm with you, right?" Emile asked, stepping up beside him.

"Just don't fall behind." He said, walking off with the Student Council. He then turned back to look to Karen and Reitia. "Oi Reitia, bring Karen back to the hospital for me, will ya?"

"Huh? Sure, no problem." Reitia responded, seeing the group go off. "Matthew! Be careful okay?"

"It shouldn't be a large invasion, I'll be fine." He stated, not even looking back as he walked off.

Reitia looked down in response, the answer the same as the one he gave her last time he ran off to fight Savage. He returned with a broken arm and dozens of smaller injuries, which didn't put much confidence in her.

"They'll be okay." Karen said as she saw Reitia's somber expression. "Artorian will be with them, he won't let anything bad happen. I promise."

"If you say so." Reitia responded, smiling lightly as she looked down to her.

The two then smiled as they stared at each other, a bond already forming from their limited interactions. "So… do you like that boy?"

"W-What!?"

* * *

 **(A/N): Wow has it been awhile since I wrote this. I have to seriously apologize for that. Honestly I never thought this would be popular, but I've been getting a few requests for the next chapter and have been working hard to get this out. I hope you enjoy it, and I promise to not drop this for as long as I had. And as a special thanks to Fortitude501, Watcher 217, Redith, and Forsaken Watcher for the recent comments, the support is appriciated and I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.**


	6. Variant

"So, we'll go over the plan one more time." Claire said as she, Erica, Liddy, Matthew, Emile and Artorian stood around the holo projection of the Zwei Islands' city district. They were all suited up and in transit, the aircraft making quick time to their objective.

"There are five reported Savage in the area, all are spread a fair distance so they should be easy to attack separate without them grouping up. Reports indicate that there are four regular Savage units, lead by a Trenta-class at the heart of the district."

 _'Trenta-class.'_ Artorian thought bitterly, tightening his fist at the Savage type. It was a Trenta that delivered the fatal blow on Hayato years ago, nearly claiming his life and Emilia's if his father hadn't shown up. He knew that even a single one meant business, as the impact of one of their blasts managed to break his father's arm, a feat that isn't to be scoffed at.

"With our numbers we can divide up evenly and take out the Savage effectively." Claire continued. "The teams will be divided as such: Erica, Liddy and myself will take up team one while Matthew, Artorian and Emile. Matthew, as the most experienced of the three, I expect you to properly guide Artorian and Emile through their portion of the mission."

"Understood." Matthew nodded, Artorian taking the opportunity to better measure him. As expected, he was more than fairly built, not as much as himself but the variable suit hid nothing. It was the colors he was expecting, gold at the center with red sides. His uniform had shoulder guards like Erica and Liddy's, but it didn't hide the several scars on his arms.

"In this mission, the three of us shall deal with one of the regular Savage before going to take on the Trenta." Erica spoke as she manipulated the hologram, bringing it up to the three left over. "While we do that, it'll be up to you three to take out the three Savage furthest away from the Trenta. Given the team composition, it should work out perfectly for you."

"Both Emile and I will stun the two Savage closest to one another, keeping them still and opening their hide." Matthew took over, looking to his subordinates. "Artorian, as the powerhouse in this operation, you'll be the one that destroys the cores. If you build up enough power you'll break through it like it's nothing. Whichever one you destroy first will determine if Emile or I go ahead and stun the last one."

"Are you sure it's good to leave only three Slayers to fight the Trenta?" Emile asked. "Those things don't exactly go down easily, even Full-Body Armament can struggle if it's prepared enough."

"Give us some credit, this isn't our first time dealing with Savage." Liddy responded. "We've gone on over two dozen missions already and have come out with few injuries."

"We've also gone into scenarios with unknown elements, we're more than capable of handling this." Claire finished.

"Translation: you haven't fought one and think your strategy for the smaller ones will work." Artorian stated, getting everyone's attention.

"And what has you say that?"

"Keeping a Trenta still is next to impossible, you have to have the collective power of a lightning bolt striking its limbs and core to stun it." He explained. "And then there's actually getting to the core. The physical strength to cut through can't be obtained just with enhancements. The closest one who could break through out of you is Liddy, and her weapon's too much of a focus point. If you get there, you likely won't have the momentum to break it."

"I'm aware of your knowledge of the Savage, however it is irrelevant in this situation." Claire responded. "Regardless of you knowing how to deal with one, a Trenta is far outside your current capability. You and Emile would be swept away if you tried to fight it."

"That thing is on par with the Savage that broke my dad's arm." Artorian argued. "If you thought I was stubborn for getting up from your attack you've never seen what my dad's been hit by."

"That is enough Artorian." Matthew ordered. "You've been given your mission. We'll wipe out the regular Savage and move to assist evacuations once we're done. Claire and her team will be able to handle the Savage on their own, and if need be I will reroute to assist them. Is that good enough for you?"

"Not really, but it's obvious I don't have a say in this." Artorian relented, rolling his eyes as the back hangar door opened. "But I stand by what I say, you're over your heads thinking you scan go against it on your own."

"We are not aiming to defeat it, simply to hold it at bay for as long as possible." Claire stated. "Once reinforcements come in, the Trenta will be dealt with our combined might."

The three then jumped out as they deployed their Hundreds, Artorian shaking his head as he watched them go. "They're going to get themselves killed."

"You underestimate them." Matthew responded. "Just because you might not be capable of fighting a Trenta doesn't mean they can't. You lost to Claire in a duel if you recall."

"It's because I know Claire's stronger than me that I spoke my opinion." Artorian said. "It'd be a pity if someone of her caliber was lost because she overestimated herself. My father always told me that a fight against a Trenta isn't a laughing matter, direct combat only works if there's enough strength-based Slayers in the squad."

 _"I suggest you three get ready yourselves."_ Charlotte spoke over their comms, interrupting them. _"It won't take long for them to destroy the regular Savage, and you'll need to move quickly to destroy the rest."_

"You heard her, get into position." Matthew ordered, the three moving to the open hatch. "Now then, we'll be following Claire's lead in engagement. Emile, use your dragoon Hundred to keep your Savage at bay and damaged. Artorian is strong but he lacks experience in focusing his energy to deliver a strong enough blow to shatter the Savage's armor."

"Roger that!" Emile grinned while saluting.

"Um, quick question." Artorian spoke up, looking down to see the city. "Is there an actual way to get down? My Hundred allows me to jump really high, I don't actually have any ability to fly like everyone else."

"You'll learn to do that, but we don't have time to go over it." Matthew said as he pulled out his Variable Stone, the gold and red reflecting the sun's light. "Hundred On!" In a bright flash Matthew's Hundred formed, revealing the bright red gauntlets with golden decals. In his hand formed a trident spear, and at the edges there was small sparks of electricity going off.

"Emile, you'll be charged with making sure he glides to a safe enough altitude to drop. Then head to your Savage and disorient it."

"Well, you heard him!" Before Artorian could argue, he felt Emile tackle him from behind, the two no longer in the transport and in the air.

"You're going to be the death of me." Artorian said with a deadpanned expression, the two falling rapidly as Matthew jumped out to follow.

"Hundred On!" The two then activated their Hundred, Artorian's spare sword and shield forming holstered on his back to free his arms up.

After a few seconds of free-fall Emile reached out and gripped Artorian's hand, using his Hundred to help Artorian recover and focus. "Don't worry Artorian, I got you!"

"You're the one who put me in danger to begin with." He groaned as he looked down, seeing the multiple Savage roaming the city. He then glared as he looked towards the closest one, tightening his hold on his sword.

"We should be at a safe enough height now! Emile, release Artorian and move for your Savage!" Matthew ordered, sparks of his golden energy forming around his arms before he readjusted his course for the next Savage.

"Alright, here goes!" Emile smirked as he released Artorian's hand and summoned his gun pods. Charging them for a split second, he fired several beams at the area around the Savage to disrupt its vision. When he landed on the ground, Emile quickly went to work and began to fire at the armor protecting the core, blasting it away after five consecutive shot hit.

"It's open now Artorian!"

"Time to die you overgrown crab!" He shouted as he raised his sword over his head, focusing his energy into his feet to keep himself balanced as he fell. When he reached the Savage, he swung down with as much strength as he could, cracking the core and causing some of its blood to come shooting out. He didn't dig deep enough to kill it, and was forced to retreat before it could strike him.

Seeing it swing one of its claws, he quickly equipped his shield onto his free arm and parried the attack, feeling the bones in his arm rattle at the contact. Using the opening, he focused his energy into his arms and quickly swung his sword, cleaving its claw off from the weak point before jumping up. Twisting his blade, he brought the end down right into the crack he made and cut right through the core, shattering it and causing the blood to burst out and cover his forearm.

Jumping off it as it collapsed, Artorian looked down to the green fluid that coated his arm. It felt warm, the texture feeling similar to the time he drank it. However it also felt as if he could feel it affecting his arm, a sudden pulse of energy going through him as it dripped off.

"We did it Artorian!" Emile cheered, grinning as he looked over to him.

"Yeah, we did." He muttered back, looking down to his blood stained sword.

 _"Now that you're done, move to eliminate my Savage while Emile goes to stall the third."_ Matthew ordered over the comms, a bolt of energy going off as a Savage's shriek was heard.

"Alright, let's go!" Emile nodded as he started to run off, Artorian standing still as he continued to look at the Savage's blood. The sound of a deeper Savage's roar shook him out of his gaze, and almost by instinct he boosted himself up to the top of the building nearby.

Across the city he could see the Trenta being wrapped up by Erica's chain Hundred, keeping its claws close to its body. He could barely see, but the figure of Liddy running past and jumping up at the Trenta was just visible to him. And for a second, he felt as if the team would be able to actually handle the Trenta, hearing them coordinate flawlessly over the comms.

However that second passed the moment the Trenta's claw fought against Erica's chain and swung at Liddy. Neither was able to react as Liddy was struck through and entire building before crashing onto the roof, Erica getting slammed onto another as her chains disappeared.

 _"Liddy! Erica!"_ Artorian heard Claire over the comms, his grip on his sword tightening as his eyes widened.

"We have two down!" Artorian announced over the comms, causing Emile to stop and turn back in the direction of the Trenta. "Liddy and Erica are likely out of commission, I'm moving in to assist!"

 _"You ill do no such thing Artorian."_ Matthew ordered. " _We have specific orders to take out the two regular Savage, until then we are not to deter our objective the slightest."_

 _"But they're injured! We could at least try and get them out of danger."_ Emile tried to argue, but was shut down by Claire.

 _"Both of you just follow your orders, I will handle this situation as I had informed you. You have your own objective to accomplish."_

"Claire you don't understand, you-!"

 _"That's enough out of you!"_ Claire shouted back as her Hundred surrounded her, the president activating her Full-Body Armament and summoning her Buster Cannon.

Artorian bit his lip as he felt the energy begin to build up, his senses somehow managing to pick up the limited energy moving in Claire. _'You idiot, you don't have your energy back after last night! A Trenta class will overpower you in two shots!'_

 _"Artorian, get over here and deal with the Savage!"_ Matthew demanded as he shouted over the comms. _"That is a direct order that you will follow to the letter! You will not engage the Trenta, leave it to Claire!"_

Artorian then bit down hard enough that he began to bleed, his shield going to his back as he saw Claire fire her canon. The Savage built up the same amount of energy in no time and fired, the two blasts clashing and exploding with force.

 _"Artorian? Artorian!"_

 _'I fucking hate this bimbo!'_

* * *

"It canceled it out?" Claire spoke to herself as she saw the Trenta still standing, a cloud of dust surrounding it and her from the detonation.

"Very well, a second blast at full power should do it." She concluded as she aimed again, preparing her second blast while the Savage followed suite. As she was at 50% charge however, Claire's energy conduits began to beep loudly, revealing that she was low on energy.

 _'I haven't finished recovering?'_ Claire thought in shock. _'But my energy should've been back by now, the duel against Artorian didn't take up that much power.'_

"Claire watch out!" Erica shouted as the Trenta's energy finished charging, the president staring in shock as it fired the massive beam.

However just as it was about to strike her, a formless figure rushed right at Claire. The beam dug through the ground for several second before letting up. Having closed her eyes to brace herself, Claire was surprised when she opened them once more, expecting the blast to have finished her off.

"You're a fucking, god damn idiot." Her attention was brought to Artorian, turning to see him carry her bridal style while jumping through the air. Both his swords were on his back while his shield was nowhere to be seen; completely shattered as it was caught in the blast.

"Artorian?" She spoke up, at a loss for words at the Slayer having reached her so quickly.

"Who the fuck else has the balls to call you the dim brained idiot you are?" He responded, looking down to her in irritation before sighing. "Are you alright?"

"You… you deliberately disobeyed my and Matthew's orders." She stated, getting him to roll his eyes.

"Good to know you're okay." He grunted. "You could try to say thank you, I did just save your life by the skin of our teeth."

"Why did you do it?"

"Because it's my fault you were in that position to begin with." He answered, confusing her. "Look it's a long story so I won't bother explaining, I'm not allowed to anyways. Just know that I take full responsibility for your condition and I don't intend to let you die because of it. So I won't let you die here to a Savage like that; besides we still need to have that rematch."

This conversation wasn't over yet; Claire was sure to bring it back up once the mission was complete. But for now she was willing to drop it, albeit her cheeks were dusted red from their position.

"You should rethink where you put your hand when grabbing someone." She said at seeing his raised eyebrow, bringing his attention to his left hand. Seeing it lightly gripped on her breast, he sighed while closing his eyes.

"You have a weird set of priorities, don't you?"

"Why are you always taking my first experiences away from me?" She muttered to herself as he landed on a nearby rooftop, getting an exaggerated sigh from him.

"And what's with all this emphasis in "firsts" exactly? You make it sound like I just took you to bed or something."

"This was my first princess carry…"

"Are you ignoring me or something!?"

 _"Claire, Artorian! It's aiming right at you!"_ Erica warned the two, getting Artorian to keep a hold of the president while he glared at the Trenta.

"Damn it! Hold on for a couple seconds Claire, we're not out of the woods yet!" He said as he was about to jump away, the energy in his feet glowing bright.

 _"Wait! There's an airport right in line of the Savage's fire!"_ Erica informed, stopping Artorian from making the jump. _"If you dodge, everyone trying to evacuate will get killed!"_

"If we don't dodge then we all die!" Artorian argued. "My shield couldn't handle that much energy, what are we going to do to even stop it?"

"We'll form a barrier." Claire concluded, confusing Artorian. "You have more than enough energy to create a barrier, and if I add in my remaining power we can create a barrier strong enough to handle the blast."

"Last time we worked off your calculations you lost two Slayers in the same second. Besides, I don't even know how to form a barrier to begin with!"

"Raise your left hand up." Claire spoke, catching him off guard. "Open your hand and focus your energy into your palm directly. Then, imagine it expanding out to form a thin wall. Then twist that wall and create a dome around you, once there you can increase your energy as much as you want to strengthen the barrier."

"…Wow…" He muttered, looking at her in surprise.

"What?"

"This is the first time I was explained how to use something since I got to Little Garden." He commented before shaking his head, holding his left hand out as Claire used her right arm to sling herself on him. "This is complete suicide, you know that right?"

"We have no choice, as Slayers it's our duty to protect these people. And we will do so without hesitation." Claire responded as she placed her left hand next to his, both their palms open as the energy began to combine. "We will only have a second to create the barrier, in that time you can't think of anything else but creating it, understood."

"Right, no pressure." He muttered before thinking on the energy, seeing the Savage fire its blast right at them. He then narrowed his eyes and manipulated the energy in his palm, Claire following suite as the two colors mixed together. In the last second before the blast struck them the barrier formed around them, taking most of the impact off of them.

They were pushed back a bit from the intensity, but Artorian planted his feet into the roof and held strong, refusing to give up any more ground to the Savage.

"We're going to release the built up energy in our barrier at the same time! The force will redirect the Savage's blast and send it away!" Claire informed, getting a nod from Artorian as he began to increase his energy.

"Release your energy, now!" She ordered, the two powering up as much as they could before firing the combined energy in a short burst. The Savage's energy was then redirected to their left, exploding safely in the ocean miles away while their energy exploded back into the mountains in the distance behind the Savage.

"We have succeeded." Claire sighed in relief as Artorian placed her back on her feet.

"I'd rather not repeat that process again, so avoid getting caught in a pinch like that alright?" He responded, cracking his neck as he felt the loss of energy affect him. However Claire was affected much more, as she nearly collapsed if he hadn't caught her by his shoulders. "Hey, hey, don't go passing out on me yet. We're still in direct sight of the Savage, I don't want to have to carry you again."

"Sorry, it's taking everything I have just to keep my armaments on." She said, her Full-Body Armament disappearing as she went back to her base state.

 _"Well, well, you two certainly paint a pretty picture."_ Emile commented hostilely over the comms, getting Artorian to roll his eyes while Claire went back to standing on her own.

"Emile, is this really the time to be acting like that?" He asked.

 _"Oh no, we have more than a few things to discuss once we're done here Artorian!"_ Emile stated as he formed a scythe in his hand, striking at the Savage's core plating. He didn't even manage to dent the glass and was forced to dodge. As he jumped back, he caught sight of debris falling towards Liddy, the Slayer still unconscious from her injuries. Emile didn't even hesitate to rush down and slice the rocks away, putting him in direct path with the Trenta.

"Emile what are you doing!?" Artorian shouted, surprising Claire as he focused energy into his feet and jumped from building to building after him. "You can't take that thing head on! Grab Liddy and get out of there!"

Emile wasn't given any options however, as the Savage prepared one of its claws to strike at him. The only option he had was to form a shield, producing one similar to Artorian's as quickly as he could.

 _'No, not again!'_ Artorian thought in panic as he saw the Savage swing its claw forward, Emile's shield not yet finished materializing.

 _"I can't move!"_

 _"It's okay! We can carry you back to the shelter!"_

Voices began to plague his mind as he saw the Savage strike, Emile's shield just doing enough to redirect the attack barely. He had still taken damage, as the claw ripped through his variable suit. Underneath, revealed a deep cut scar that was healed, and in that second Artorian's eyes widened in utter fear. The Slayer was then knocked down, unable to defend as the Savage prepared another attack.

"EMILIA!" For a split second, the dark mist from last night formed around Artorian and he shot forward at blinding speed. The moment he landed between the Savage and Emile, Artorian grabbed both his swords and swung out, clashing against the Savage's claw and causing a kinetic explosion to go off.

When the dust settled, Artorian was seen holding the Trenta's claw back with his father's sword in his right hand. His left hand was hanging limply as the gauntlet shattered and a bone was sticking out of his skin.

"Emilia, you have to run, now!" He grunted as he put all his strength to push against the Savage, the mist disappearing and his remaining strength slowly going with it.

"Wait you… remember?" Emile asked in shock, holding his arms over his now exposed chest, revealing a pair of breasts. "Did your… memories come back?"

"I never forgot!" He shouted, feeling his legs begin to shake as the Savage pushed down against him. "Emilia please, run while you still can! I can't… I can't hold this thing for long! Get out of here before I-!" Before he could finish, the roof under him collapsed, sending him crashing down with the Savage slamming him into the ground.

Emilia stare in horror as the boy was complete gone from view, the Savage screeching in victory as it pulled its claw out from the rubble. That horror grew into despair as the Savage raised its claw for another blow, aiming right at her and Liddy as they were powerless to move.

* * *

 _'I… I can't do it.'_ Artorian thought as he felt his conscious slowly fade underneath the rubble. _'My left arm's completely broken, I lost both my spare sword and shield, and now I can't even feel anything except for the pain.'_

 _"ARTORIAN!"_

' _Emilia… I'm sorry. I can't move anymore, not even when you need me to. I… I left you behind again.'_ He then closed his eyes as he tightened his right hand on his sword, crying in anger as he snarled at his weakness. _'I left you behind again, but this time my dad isn't… no one's here to save us…'_

 _'Dad I… I'm sorry I can't fight anymore… you died for nothing and now Karen's… Karen and Emilia both are…'_

Artorian's eyes then snapped open as herecalled his promise to his father, his body heating up unbearably when he did. An uncontrollable rage began to overcome him as he felt his conscious fade, replaced by the heat, and in that next second his eyes turned bright gold, identical to when he fought against Claire.

* * *

Before anyone could react, an explosion of blue energy went off beneath the Savage, blinding everyone for a split second. When the light went away, Emilia was shocked to see Artorian standing in front of her, holding the Savage's claw by its edge with his broken arm.

His eyes were wide in rage as he gripped onto the limb as hard as possible, cracking the armor while blood shot out of his arm from the pressure. He didn't care however, and in a roar of anger pushed the Savage back, his strength sending it crawling several meters back. No time was given to react, as Artorian shot out and slashed its right claw clean off, landing on the building across the road.

The Savage's blood erupted from the injury, and in that second Artorian lunged forward and slashed across its back, cracking the armor and landing on the road bellow. He then quickly turned on his feet and held his sword out, placing his hand on the blade to absorb the impact of the Savage's counter.

He was sent skidding over a dozen meters back, but he kept to his feet, completely unfazed as blood erupted from his arm's injury. The moment he stopped, he built up energy in his sword to where it glowed blue, slashing out and sending a massive projectile of raw energy. The Savage was able to move its upper body to dodge, a small chunk of its armor getting burned off as it passed.

However, the projectile didn't stop and was heading right for Erica, who was still too injured to move. Just as it was about to hit her, a blur of gold shot past her and struck the energy, sending it flying into the sky without any effort.

"Matthew?" Erica muttered, the golden light dying around him to reveal his Full-Body Armament. It was heavily armored, not a single part of his missing a piece of metal. Aside from his gauntlets and greaves, his armor was completely golden, his helmet shaped like a lions and a red energy plume coming out of it.

"Looks like I made it in time." Matthew sighed as he swiped his trident to the side, Savage blood still fresh on it from his quick elimination of the two regular Savage.

"Your Starving Lion, you activated your Full-Body Armament?"

"It was the only way I could eliminate both Savage and make it here in time." He explained, watching as he saw Artorian lunge at the Savage. "So it looks like Artorian has lost control of himself again."

"It happened when the Savage crushed him beneath rubble." Erica stated, her composure returning as the mentioned layer struck the Trenta's left front leg, knocking it to the side and causing it to collapse. "He has a severe injury on his left arm, but it appears as if it the injury isn't even there."

 _'That part is the Abyss.'_ Matthew noted, knowing the subconscious ignorance to pain the anomaly caused. However, he wasn't able to answer the shocking amount of energy that Artorian was producing as he swung widely at the Savage's abdomen, each strike causing more cracks to form on its armor.

 _'What is going on?'_ Artorian thought, unable to process anything beyond his own thoughts and the heat inside him. _'I can see or hear anything, but I feel like I'm fighting. Where am I swinging? Where is the pain from my arm?'_ He questioned in his mind, while at the same time his body had struck deep enough to cause the Savage's blood to escape from the cracks.

 _'My body's completely burning, I feel like I'm consumed in flames right now.'_ At the sensation of the blood touching him, Artorian's body roared in fury as it shot its free arm, grabbing onto the open chunk of armor and pulling. It took no more than ten seconds before he ripped a massive opening in the Savage; its blood pouring onto him as he continued to roar.

"This is bad, there's too much Savage blood on him!" Claire said in horror as Artorian ripped his way into the Savage, entering the beast's innards as his energy grew more. Sings of him swinging randomly was seen, as his blade's energy was cutting through the Savage and causing more opening to form outside its armor. "He's going to die from exposure, his body won't be able to handle it with his injuries!"

 _'No, we won't be that lucky.'_ Matthew thought as he glared at the Savage, seeing Artorian's sword erupt from the top with the core impaled on it. _'The Abyss will make him immune to the effects of Severance, he's likely at the equivalent of stage 4 and he's just getting stronger.'_

Artorian then grabbed onto the outside and pulled himself out, revealing his enraged state as he held the core up high. His actions were now mirroring that of a beast that defeated its rival, mocking the defeat of the Savage as if it was nothing.

"I'm going to have to put him down now, before he gets any stronger." Swiping his free hand across his trident, the weapon began to spark with lightning along with his gauntlets, his energy increasing as he readied himself. "I'll only have one opening, but I can kill him in that time."

"What?"

"Kill him?"

"He's no longer in there." He responded to Claire and Erica's reactions, the lightning spreading to across his whole body as his armor's visor glowed red. "What your staring at is nothing more than a beast with no control. He is now an even greater danger than the Trenta was, he cannot be allowed to live."

"Matthew stand down! We do not kill our allies!" Claire ordered, sensing Matthew rise his energy to his max.

"That isn't our ally, not anymore."

 _'No, I can't let him do it!'_ Emilia thought as she activated her Hundred, moving instantly right for Artorian.

"Emile no!"

"Crossfode don't!"

 _'I'm coming Artorian!'_

Sensing Emilia approach, Artorian's body acted on instinct and flung the Savage core off of his sword and right at Emilia. She didn't even blink as she summoned two canons and shot the core, destroying it and continuing to him. Artorian roared as he raised his sword up, energy pooling around him as he prepared to swing at her again.

 _'I have to do it, it's the only thing that will calm him!'_ At that moment Emilia's eyes glowed the same golden as Artorian's, and in a flash she was right in front of him. Reaching out to him, Emilia held his face with both hands before closing the gap, placing her lips on his in a surprise kiss. While Artorian's eyes were still wide in rage, his energy was notably going down as Emilia shoved her tongue into his mouth.

 _'Where… what's going on?'_ Artorian thought as he felt his conscious return, his eyes slowly dimming back to blue as Emilia continued the kiss. Eventually he was aware enough to notice the snow haired girl, the last of his energy vanishing as he did. _'Emilia?'_

After feeling his energy calm and return to normal, Emilia pulled her face back, a thin trail of saliva connecting the two's lips as they were panting for air. With him calm, she quickly flew back and had the two land on the ground. The moment their feet touched the ground, Artorian collapsed and she moved close again, catching him and wrapping him in a tight hug.

"You're okay." She whispered as she hugged him close, afraid of letting him go.

"I told you… not to fall behind." He responded weakly, chuckling in pain as he lost grip of his sword and it dropped to the ground. "I can't… I can't turn my back on you for a second, can I?"

"I know, I'm sorry." Emilia said as her eyes returned to normal.

 _'He was able to calm what was going on?'_ Matthew wondered as everyone's Hundreds deactivated, catching his and placing it in his pocket. _'And without even a charm to do it, whatever he did during that kiss completely recovered his mind. What are they?'_

"This uh… might be a bad time but, did you just suddenly hit puberty or have you been somehow hiding you breasts this whole time?" Artorian asked, slowly recovering some strength. "That's been bugging me this whole time."

"I'll… explain later." Emilia responded, blushing slightly at the question.

"Emile Crossfode…" The two's attention was then brought to Claire, who walked up to them with a mixture of embarrassment and confusion on her face as she pointed to them. "Dare I believe my eyes? It appears you have breasts!? And right in the middle of battle you kissed Artorian! Explain yourself now!"

"Hehehe, guess my secrets out…" Emilia said in equal embarrassment, keeping Artorian up while using one of her free hands to cover her chest.

"I'm fine by the way." Artorian muttered as he motioned with his broken arm, the bleeding still going as he did. "Truly in the pinnacle of health I'll add."

* * *

"Now this brings back memories." Charlotte said as she finished casting Artorian's broken arm after reconnecting the bone and patched his opening.

"Did dad come back with these kinds of injuries often?" Artorian asked, the two in the med bay of the transport jet they took to the Zwei Islands. Both Liddy and Erica were in there as well, both resting as they recovered.

"Breaking his right arm was his favorite injury, he just couldn't get it through his thick skull that punching a Savage doesn't work well. Same as you if the footage is to go off of."

"You know what that was, didn't you?"

"It was your Variant powers awakening, the same as when you fought against Claire in your duel." She explained, pulling out a lollipop and putting it in her mouth. "You remember when you drank the Savage blood out of Emilia, right?"

"Tasted horrible if I'm being honest." He said, unconsciously rolling his shoulders as he was still covered in the now dried blood.

"That gave you a direct link to another form of Severance called the Variant virus. The strain is the strongest there is, you could consider it a stage 5 in comparison to the regular virus. It has a high chance of killing you, but if you are compatible your energy reading skyrocket compared to most Slayers."

"And the fact I lost control?"

"The virus taps into your beastly urges, in your case the rage you have." She answered. "Emile had the same problem, albeit slightly different when she was first adapting to the power. But eventually after she became a Variant she showed more promise than almost anyone else with the virus."

"Variant?"

"It's what you and she are, named after the virus strain in you. Yours is potent, it must have been completely dormant for you." She commented as she looked back to one of the dozen holographic screens, bringing up his data. "Your Hundred score went up from that, you're now at 87%. We're lucky Emile was there, otherwise you might have completely lost it."

"On that note, what did she do to me?" Artorian asked. "I remember just feeling the heat and then suddenly her tongue's practically down my throat. I kinda need some answers on that."

"I can't just tell you everything, what will be left for Emile to explain?" Charlotte asked with a smile as she looked back to him. "Just know it was the only way to keep that power of yours in check, so try to avoid letting loose too much if you want to avoid that."

"Oi, I didn't say I had a problem with it." He responded quickly, smirking as he looked out the window. "Not every day you get French kissed by a girl, I can certainly think of worse things to happen."

 _'You're even more like your father than I thought.'_ Charlotte thought as she shook her head, relieved that the experience he just suffered didn't impact him harder.

* * *

"So you're sure you're okay?" Karen asked, concerned as Artorian sat next to her hospital bed.

"I'm fine Karen, I promise." He was now clean of the Savage blood, wearing his casual clothes for his visit. "My arm broke but we know how fast I recover, I'll be back to 100% in a couple days."

"You need to stop getting hurt, this is your third day here and you've been injured twice." Karen said, pointing at him as she did. "You won't be able to move your arms if you keep getting injured this often, and I'm scared you might actually go that far."

"That wouldn't happen." He smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead, calming her. "I need these arms to keep you safe, so I won't ever let them be useless."

"Okay, I trust you." She smiled back. "What about everyone else? Did they get hurt too?"

"Erica and Liddy both took a bit of damage in the fight, but they should be good by morning. Claire and Matthew aren't damaged at all, no surprises there given their status. Emile took a bit but he's still able to move on his own no problem." Artorian was sure to keep Emilia's identity a secret, having not yet confronted her on that.

"They must both be really strong."

"Eh, I saved Claire so I'd say it's a fair statement that I single handedly stopped most of our team getting wiped."

"It was that dangerous, was it?"

"There's a reason my dad always warned me about the Trenta Savage, and now I understand fully." Artorian said, although her kept up a grin as he ruffled Karen's hair. "But that just means I'm just going to have to get even stronger. Next time I'm on a mission I promise I won't come back with an injury."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"Alright Karen, it's time for you to go to bed." Miharu said as she entered the room, surprised to see Artorian. "Oh, you're here Artorian? I thought you would have stayed in your room to recover after your mission."

"Well I couldn't just leave Karen to herself after leaving as suddenly as I did." Artorian responded, standing up as he did. "Although I still need to talk to Emile on something that happened during the mission. So I'll probably head out in a minute."

"I can see you out if you'd like." Miharu offered, getting a smile from Artorian as he grabbed his sword.

"That'd be lovely Miharu."

"Artorian, stop flirting with Miharu!" Karen pouted, getting a chuckle from Artorian.

"Oh Karen, you're my world." He commented before walking out with Miharu. "She hasn't been too much trouble for you, has she?"

"Oh Karen's an angel, you've done a good job in raising her." Miharu stated, getting a bittersweet smile from him.

"That's mostly just how she is, the impact of me comes from her more rude speech. Like how she thinks I'm staring at your chest 24/7." His words got a small laugh from the nurse, although after a few feet he stopped, confusing her.

"Artorian, is something the matter?" She asked, noticing his downward stare.

"Miharu, there's something I have to ask of you." He spoke, his gaze remaining down as he did. "I'm a complete mess, and truthfully I don't know exactly how much time I have on my clock as a Slayer. And I have a deep fear that if I die, something bad is going to happen to Karen."

"What I'm trying to ask is… I need you to keep a close eye on Karen for me when I can't." He spoke, looking up to stare her in the eyes. "Judal allowed her to get treatment because I'm here, he knows that she's the key to keeping me in check. I can't trust any of the Slayers; I don't know where all of their loyalties lie. But I do trust you, Karen's become attached to you quickly and I trust her judgment on people."

"You fear someone might try to hurt Karen?" Miharu asked, shocked at the idea.

"Not hurt, I'd rip apart this whole boat if someone did. But I don't know what exactly would happen, and that's why I'm asking for your help." He stated, leaning his sword against him as he pulled out his PDA. "I don't expect you to stick your neck out for us, all I ask is that you watch out for her and yourself. If you feel that someone suspicious is around, or that something might happen, all I ask is that you contact me right away."

"Do you feel Judal would do something like this?"

"The guy planned on me becoming a Slayer, having a unique condition to my status, and had two Slayers that could combat me should I become a problem. This fucker's playing some other game and I don't want to take a risk." Artorian answered.

Miharu considered Artorian's words, not thinking that Judal himself would do something. However, she was also aware that Warslran has partaken in more than a few "unwavering" projects in its past. They had more than a few enemies outside of the Savage threat, and the length's they'd go to cause trouble.

"Okay Artorian, I'll do this for you." Miharu responded, taking the PDA and placing in her contact information. "I promise I'll look after Karen, I won't let anyone go into her room without informing you of it."

"Thank you." He said, sighing in relief as she handed him the PDA back and put it in his pocket. "But promise me something else, don't forget to worry for yourself too. I'm putting you in a difficult position, but I don't want you getting hurt either."

"It's my job as a nurse to guarantee my patient's protection, I will not hesitate to do so regardless of the situation." She stated, surprising him with her conviction. "I am not a fighter, violence leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. But I will not allow anyone to harm Karen while she is under my watch. I promise you that."

"Well, that's conviction if I've seen any." He chuckled as he kicked his blade up and caught it, resting it on his shoulder. "Just warn me if someone is poking their nose places they shouldn't, I'll come and fix it right away."

"You have my word."

"Okay, that's all I needed." He smiled, the two continuing to walk.

 _'One step at a time.'_ He thought to himself, tightening his grip on his sword as he did. _'I'll protect her future and build the path needed for when I'm gone. Not even you'll be able to keep me from that Judal.'_

* * *

 **(A/N): Okay, I was not expecting this to come out as quickly as it did. If I'm being honest I was in the middle of a writers block when I just sat down and practically wrote this whole chapter. So I'm glad that I managed to get this out without putting it off for over a month like last time.**

 **I've also seen a bit of questions revolving around the source I'm using, and yes I was planning on going to the Light Novel of Hundred after the anime was done. Personally I liked how the anime handled some of the scenes better, but I'm obviously going to work on making it more interesting. I'm also glad at the feedback and enjoy seeing that people like this story, honestly I wasn't expecting this to get much of any views, but once again I'm surprised.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, Peace!**


	7. Converse

"So she's making you move out, huh?" Artorian asked as he sat down on his bed, watching as Emilia finished up packing her belongings.

"Yeah, says she can't have me staying here since it goes against the rules." She shrugged. "I get my own room though, since Char's cleared me on keeping my identity a secret."

"What was up with pretending to be a guy anyways?" Artorian responded. "There was probably easier ways to get back into contact with me than lying on government documents. You're lucky Char had your back on that otherwise you could've been facing jail time."

"Well… you know…" Emilia muttered as she stood back up, poking her fingers together as she looked away. "It was the best chance that we'd end up in the same room. I figured you'd come to Little Garden at some point so I kinda banked on getting to share a room with you."

"You figured I'd come?" Artorian raised an eyebrow. "We didn't exactly know each other very well. What had you peg me down as becoming a Slayer?"

"Well, it's because you're a Variant like me." Emilia stated. "I know Char's told you about what we are, and I knew that since you tried to get the Savage blood out of me, that you definitely had become a Variant like me."

"Right… you got a bunch in your cut back then." Artorian muttered. "So since you became a Variant, you just thought that I'd become one as well. That was quite the gamble, but it looks like it paid off for you."

"Yep, I was finally able to find you again!" She cheered with a bright smile.

"And throw yourself into the most dangerous job on the planet." He reminded. "I can't imagine your father was very happy at the idea of you joining Warslran, especially since Gudenberg and the other countries in Britannia are falling behind Wenz in terms of Slayer strength." When Emilia's lips went thin, Artorian gave her a half lidded expression. "You left without telling him, didn't you?"

"Well I mean… it's not like it would've been that big of a deal." She laughed desperately, rubbing the back of her head as Artorian gave her a dry stare. "I didn't go and join a rival country, so I'm sure there isn't anything too big that would warrant concern for us."

"Oh yeah, cause joining a PMC is so much better." He rolled his eyes, groaning as he laid back and rubbed his face. "Fuckin' fantastic, the third in line for inheriting the throne ran away from home and is now planning on joining one of the big three PMCs of the world."

"Y-You know about that?"

"My dad was your family's bodyguard when you would leave Gudenberg, how the hell would I not know?" He then sighed as he let his arm sprawl out on the bed, looking up to the ceiling. "Not that it really matters or anything. If you didn't want to stay, then who am I to judge you doing so?"

"You… don't care that I'm royalty?"

"Why should I? My dad was a royal knight, it's just a fancy title to make people with connections feel better about themselves." He then shrugged, sitting back up. "It's not like you go around boasting about it either, plus you ran away. I'd say that title of princess is pretty much null at this point."

"I guess you're right." Emilia smiled. "Hey Artorian? I never was able to say this before but… thank you."

"Hmm?"

"You know, for saving me. And not just for today, but back then in Yamato when we first met. It's thanks to you that I'm here, and I never was able to express gratitude."

Emilia's words caused Artorian to look away, hitting him with a wave of guilt as he thought back to the fateful day of the Savage invasion. _'You don't have anything to thank me for…'_

"Hey Emili… Emile, about back then."

"Is something wrong?"

"Not necessarily, but I wanted to… can I see it?" Artorian didn't specify what he meant, but the snow haired girl seemed to pick up on what he meant, as she walked over to him and sat next to him on his good side.

"Most of the scarring seems to be permanent, even Char's attempts at healing it seems to have done nothing." Emilia explained as she lifted her shirt up to just beneath her breasts, revealing the scar she got from the Savage nearly ripping her open. "The pain's long gone though, I just sometimes feel a moment of numbness."

Artorian said nothing as he looked at the scar, the indent from it being the only possible flaw on her body. Just seeing it brought flashes of the day back, but he was able to keep them back as he gently brought his index and middle fingers to trace the marking, getting an embarrassed blush from Emilia.

The first thing she noticed was how surprisingly cold Artorian's touch was. As a Variant, her energy often built up when unused and increased her body temperature. However Artorian's touch alone seemed to completely cool off the heat her body produced, confusing her since he too was a Variant and should have the same condition.

However that embarrassment turned to concern as she saw Artorian's expression; the guilt present in his eyes as he lightly traced her scar catching her off guard. "It was all my fault…"

"W-What?"

"What happened to you, it was my fault." He said as he looked down, pulling his fingers away as he placed his hand down on the bed. "I promised to help you get to safety, and when we were at the final stretch I entirely forgot about you and focused on Hayato and Karen. I didn't even look back when you were trapped behind rubble and were likely screaming for help."

He then clenched his hand on his sheets, his eyes narrowing as he felt himself heat up. "I don't break promises, but I nearly got you killed because of my own stupidity. If I wasn't… if I could've just…!"

"You did everything you could." Emilia said, placing her hand over Artorian's. "You were just a kid, all of us were. You were scared, just like all of us, there's nothing wrong with that. I don't blame you for what happened because you came back for me, you saved me."

"My father saved us, all I did was watch…" He muttered, before recoiling in pain as he felt Emilia flick the side of his head hard. "Ow! The fuck was that for!?"

"Stop blaming yourself for what happened to me." She stated, pointing right in his face as she stared sternly at him. "You did everything you could, and it's thanks to you that we're here now. Artorias might have held the Savage back, but if you weren't there then I wouldn't have made it at all." She then clasped his hand with both of hers, her warmth countering his cold.

"Even if I was hurt, even if I was infected with the Variant virus, there isn't a single thing I would change about what happened." She said, smiling to him as she held his hand. "That pain made me stronger, but it also allowed me to find you and Karen again. And I wouldn't take it back for anything."

Artorian stared at Emilia's face silently for a few seconds, trying to process exactly how the girl could come to such a conclusion. As far as he knew, neither of them had known each other for longer than a day. A day that was easily the worst in both of their lives, yet she had this conviction to say it was all worth it. Truthfully he'd take back the day in a heartbeat, but he also understood the impact and importance it had in shaping him into who he is.

Eventually, he rolled his eyes and sighed, shaking his head with a small smirk on his face. "I don't get you Emile, I seriously don't understand you in the least." While it wasn't the response she expected, the fact he dropped his guilt for the moment brought a smile to Emilia's lips.

"So what is it, you only have a few minutes before you move out right?" Artorian asked as he stood up, getting his hand from her grasp. "Why not have celebratory cups of tea before that? I know this good recipe that only takes a minute to make."

"No Artorian let me." She responded, standing up with him. "You're still injured, you should be relaxing right now."

"I will not be told to relax just because I have a single broken ar-" Before he could finish, Artorian felt his whole body go numb and collapse, managing to catch himself with his hand but still landing on his face.

"Artorian!?"

"I'm fine… my body just went numb out of nowhere." He said, slowly pushing himself up and turning onto his back, sitting up weakly as his heart rate increased. "Maybe I'm not as fine as I was expecting." As he said that, his eyes flashed golden for a second, getting the other Slayer's attention.

"Wait a second, your virus is reacting again." She realized, noticing his eyes blinking between gold and blue.

"Is that bad?"

"I can handle it, just don't push me away."

"Push you away for wha-hmph!?" Before he could finish, Emilia moved to mount his waist, capturing his lips for a kiss the second time that day. The two's tongues danced as he felt the numbness in his body pass, eventually his composure returning as she pulled away from his lips.

"What… was that about?" He asked, staring at the girl as she remained on top of him. "You did that back when I was going berserk against the Savage to calm me down, and now you do it again and my senses come back. I'm at a loss right now."

"Well you see, as a Variant your virus has a tendency to react in different situations. Sometimes it will give you an immeasurable boost in energy." She began to explain, her cheeks dusted red from the kiss. "After this happens, often times the virus will reactivate and cause fatigue throughout your body. And the only way to calm an active virus is with a dormant one."

"And that method is through kissing?"

"It's the most direct and safest way to affect the virus. Blood also works but saliva is often the quickest course. So I figured it'd be best to administer my virus like that." Emilia then looked away, her eyes blinking back to Artorian occasionally as she suddenly got cold feet. "Unless… do you not actually like kissing me?"

"Well, how about I put it like this…" Artorian trailed off, lightly cupping Emilia's chin with his thumb and index finger, turning her to face him again with their lips and inch apart. "I can think of a lot of things worse than kissing you."

The closeness of their faces caused Emilia's face to brighten several shades, her heartbeat increasing as he held their lips so close yet barely keeping them from connecting.

 _'He's… he's this close and he isn't pushing me away.'_ She thought still anxious but closing her eyes as she felt him slowly begin to pull her lips towards his.

 _'All that tomboyish attitude you've shown before and now you're just like any other embarrassed school girl with a crush.'_ Artorian thought in return, chuckling lightly as he saw her flustered, closing his eyes as he smiled to himself. _'I don't get you Emilia, but I guess that isn't so wrong here.'_

"Emile Crossfode, what is taking you so long!?" Just as the two's lips were about to connect, they were interrupted as Claire stormed into the room looking for the cross-dresser. "You were given till 2000 hours to be moved into your new room, what is taking you so-!?"

The whole room went silent as all three of the inhabitants' eyes went wide in surprise, none of them moving an inch as the situation slowly processed in all of their minds.

"Wh-what form of debauchery is this!?" Claire shouted as she pointed to the two on the floor, her face ablaze in embarrassment at walking in such a moment.

 _'I don't know if I'm more mad that I got cock-blocked by the most generic shit in the book or disappointed that she honestly said debauchery…'_ The silver hair boy sighed as he let go of Emilia's chin, letting his disappointment last for a second before smirking and looking to Claire.

"Well, Emile and I were thinking that since it was the last night we'd spend in the same room, and since we just went through a life or death situation that we should relieve some of the stress we've built up." He joked with his usual tone, making it more difficult for the president to know if he was being serious or not.

 _'He he he he he he… he wanted to… to do… that…'_ Emilia's face matched the blazing of Claire's, although having the benefit of hiding her embarrassment as she placed her face down on his shoulder.

"You… you have some nerve Artorian! To attempt such a thing in the dorms of Little Garden, and with the excuse of the mission you volunteered to no less! I have never encountered such a shameless and perverted individual such as yourself!"

"Dorm Regs: chapter five; article six; paragraph one states as follows: "Under the pretense of preparing for a mission or recovery, Slayers are allowed to relieve themselves in any way fit as long as both partners are in agreement and the room is vacant of any unwilling participants"." He grinned in response, surprising Claire with his knowledge of the regulations.

"See Prez, I can understand the rules just fine. I just actively try to annoy you because you make it oh so easy to get underneath your skin. That pompous, royal attitude of yours makes it even better."

"Even so, to preform such an act is immoral and inappropriate at the time as you're aware that Emile is supposed to be moving out at this time! Acceptable rules or not, I will not stand for this and order you two to stop this once!"

"Gods you are so damn tight Claire, loosen up!" Artorian rolled his eyes, tapping on Emilia's shoulder as he carefully moved her off of him to stand up. "We weren't going to fuck or anything, as far as I was aware it wouldn't go much further than kissing. You take things way too seriously."

 _'Just… just kissing. It was just going to be kissing…'_ Emilia pondered as she worked to relax herself, taking a deep breath as she held a hand over her chest. _'Of course, Artorian wouldn't go that far so quickly. He just really likes teasing is all… right?'_

"I cannot afford to lower my guard in regards to you." Claire argued, crossing her arms under her chest before looking away. "Only four days here and you've caused more commotion than any Slayer before you. It's honestly concerning what your career has in store for everyone if this is how you act now."

"Once again I can't stress how much you could use to loosen up." Artorian commented as he approached the blonde.

"To a ruffian like you, acting proper and respectable would seem to require "loosening up"."

"You know something, I bet you wouldn't be nearly as wound up as you are if you actually kissed a guy. Maybe then you'd have a bit more capacity to express an emotion other than your pompousness."

"H-How dare you make such a claim!" Claire responded hostilely, turning back to Artorian with her cheeks dusted red again. "Never would I degrade myself to such a manner, much less with a degenerate like you!"

"I never said you had to kiss me. That's your own words, not mine." As Claire realized her misspeak and attempted to correct herself, Artorian leaned his face down to be leveled with hers. "Of course though if that's a request, I wouldn't exactly object to it either."

"I… you… we… how…" Claire stuttered over her words, the closeness surprising and putting her off her guard with such an embarrassing topic.

"Sorry Prez, could you say that a little clearer?" He asked with a grin. "Perhaps trying a simple yes or no would work better, since you're clearly so humiliated to form a cognitive sentence."

"Absolutely not!" Emilia shouted, getting Artorian to turn to her with a raised eyebrow. "You can't go kissing Prez because you… you…" Realizing her outburst, the cross-dresser once again got cold feet and looked away. "It wouldn't… it wouldn't be… competing would…"

Before Emilia could stutter her way through to the rest of her sentence, Matthew appeared at the open door and knocked on it three times, dispelling the awkwardness in the girls and gaining everyone's attention. "Sorry to interrupt this… spectacle, but some of us actually require sleep."

He then motioned back with his shoulder, referring to the several opened doors across the hall. Most of the Slayers in the hall had heard the constant shouting and concluded it was coming from the room, however Matthew was the only one to approach the room and interrupt what was going on.

"So if you wouldn't mind, could you please sexually harass Claire and Emile when we aren't all trying to get some shut eye?" He asked, getting flashes of embarrassment from the girls but a chuckle from Artorian.

"Damn, and here I thought I'd snatch Little Garden's commander's first kiss." Artorian playfully snapped his fingers as he leaned back from Claire. "Okay, I'll leave the two alone for the time being. You can tell everyone we'll quite down."

"Thank you." Matthew said as he turned away, walking out from the doorway and out of sight.

"Yet another unnecessary situation brought by your incisive need to cause trouble." Claire huffed as she turned and began to walk out.

"You and Emile were the one shouting, I barely raised my voice in the slightest." He chuckled again as he saw her pause, her foot stomping on the last step before continuing.

"You have a minute before you're expected out of the room Crossfode." She stated before walking out. "If you are not out by then I will drag you out if need be."

"This place is fun, I'm starting to have fun." He said with a smile as he looked back to Emilia. "Sorry if this got a little much for you there, couldn't pass the opportunity to tease our residential top Slayer could I?"

"R-Right, teasing…" Emilia responded quietly, looking away as she did.

"Alright, what's on the list of Emile issues now?"

"Well it's just… was earlier also teasing? It's okay if it was, I'm not expecting you to just instantly be like that, but it was so sudden and I couldn't tell what was serious or not andIjustwantedtoknowif-!"

Emilia's response slowly turned into a ramble, and would've continued to the point of incoherence had Artorian not leaned down and placed a sly kiss on her lips, shutting her up instantly as she looked back up to him.

"How about we put it like this so your little head doesn't get too caught up." He said as he patted her head with his good hand. "I'm not so sure where it was either. So we'll keep our relationship where it was this morning and see where it goes. It might just have been teasing, or maybe it might be something more. We'll just have to find out over time, sound good?"

Emilia's cheeks turned red again in embarrassment, but she returned the smile as she nodded. "I'd… I'd like that."

"Thirty seconds Crossfode!" Claire informed from outside the room, getting the duo to look at the door before grinning at each other.

"Better get going, otherwise Prez might throw another fit and I'll have to tease the both of you again."

"I'd prefer you left the teasing only to me." Emilia then quickly stood on her toes and pulled Artorian's head down, kissing his cheek before grabbing her suitcase and running to the door. "See you tomorrow Artorian!"

"Yeah, see ya." He waved to her as the door closed, sighing instantly as he heard the window open. "And like that, solitude." The Slayer then walked back to his bed and sprawled out on it, looking up to the ceiling with a bored expression. "Great, only around ten hours until my first class in years. This kind of pattern's going to get old real quick."

"Try getting a job." Artorian didn't even flinch as he heard Matthew's voice, instead looking over to his window to see his fellow Slayer sitting in the opening.

"I thought you were going to sleep."

"An Abysswalker is in a room alone after an intense life or death situation. Sleep is the last thing I can afford right now."

"You've been following me the whole time we've been back, haven't you?"

"Are you surprised?"

"Nah, your family's thorough like that." Artorian shrugged. "So what's this about a job?"

"Slayers and students are allowed to accept jobs in central. Obviously if it impacts your grades you'd be forced to drop it, but we both know you aren't exactly here for your academic genius."

"Ouch, you don't pull punches." He chuckled in response, sitting up and turning to look at Matthew. "But I suppose your right, I don't exactly intend on being the bright future of science. Any ideas for jobs?"

"Grocery stores could always use the extra hands for night shifts, or you could try one of the bars if you feel like getting paid for no work." The Slayer answered. "Personally I'd keep you as far away from alcohol as possible, but then again the Abyss negates any chance of you getting drunk so that worry is out of the way."

"Interesting options, I'll have to check them out later."

"Good, the quicker you pick one the better." Matthew stated as he was about to reach out and move back to his room.

"So what do you think of my little scheme?" Artorian asked before he left, getting him to pause halfway through the transition and hang outside. "You admitted to following me since we got back to Little Garden, so I know you heard my chats. So I wanted to get that out of the way now."

"I hold no loyalty to the Harvey family or Warslran as a whole." Matthew spoke without missing a beat, not having to look back to know Artorian was now holding his sword. "At the same time I will not dedicate any loyalty to an Abysswalker. You can consider me completely unaffiliated in your plans against Judal. You, Kisaragi and the nurse are not of my concern; we are not comrades in our battles. Just pieces that fit together in a puzzle with no architect."

"Gods you're so mellow dramatic." Artorian rolled his eyes as he rested his sword on his shoulder. "Simply saying you don't care or aren't apart of it would've done. I already know where our standings are on a personal level."

"Then we're done for the night." Matthew concluded as he moved out of sight, entering his room and closing the window behind him.

"Prick." Artorian then sighed as he looked over to his door. "Well, I guess staying in my room's no longer an option with thunder breath keeping tabs on me. Let's see what would be the best waste of my time for these long nights."

* * *

"Shit, shit, shit!" Artorian seethed as he worked his way around putting on his uniform, wincing as he got his broken arm through the sleeve. "Gods, it's my luck that Emilia gets caught the day I also get my arm busted and we have class. Any other day would've been far too convenient for a stupid Savage to show up."

Eventually the boy was able to get himself into his clothes, rolling his shoulders as he felt out his new coat. Due to him now being apart of Selections, the Slayer was given the proper uniform, having red sections going around his collar, across his shoulders and down his arms to signal his position as an active Slayer.

"Wish they would've let me choose a color, red's not my color." He commented to himself as he put his back and wrapped the strap over his shoulder, kicking his sword up and catching it swiftly after. "Alright, let's get this day over with."

Sighing, the Slayer walked out of his room and headed out of the building, the halls empty as most of the other Slayers and students were already heading out for class. There was a few here and there, however most had left to get to their homeroom quickly to get a head start on keeping up an appearance in the academy. A desire Artorian had little to share with in regards.

"Artorian!" It wasn't until he got out of his dormitory that he heard someone call him out, turning to see Emilia approach him with a bright smile on her face. "You're finally out, I almost thought you were going to skip out on class today."

"The thought was tempting, but I'll pass on getting lectured so early in the year from our illustrious president." He smirked in return. "Save that for a day when I have a bit more strength to sit through it."

"How's the arm?"

"Still broken, hurts when I move it." He said, motioning to his cast. "Other than that, fresh as can be on day two without sleep. How about you? You didn't take much, but that Savage still left a couple marks on you if I recall."

"Oh I'm completely fine." Emilia smiled, rubbing the back of her head. "All I needed was some rest was all. I got off easy compared to what you went through."

"Putting it lightly."

The two shared a laugh before heading off for the academy's main building. They still had roughly ten minutes before class, opting to stay out by the courtyard and sitting by the fountain.

"I didn't know if you ate again this morning, but I thought I should bring a few of these." Emilia said as she pulled out two protein bars from her uniform's chest pocket. "They promote energy recovery and act as a full meal, so it should help if you missed breakfast."

"Thanks, I lost track of time and forgot to get anything from the cafeteria." Artorian said as he took one of the bars, the two opening it and taking a bite out of theirs. "This feels weird."

"Hmm?" Emilia hummed, chewing on her bite while Artorian swallowed.

"We're Slayers, our goal is to hunt and eliminate Savage when they show up. Why bother wasting our time with something as simple as school? We could be spending more time training or at least studying the Savage rather than basic human history."

"Because not everyone makes it far as Slayers." The two's attention was turned to Liddy, the vice president approaching them after overhearing their conversation.

"You're up already?" Emilia asked, showing concern for the student council member. "Are you sure you're good? You took a bad hit yesterday."

"I thank you for the concern Crossfode, however I can promise you I'm okay." Liddy responded.

"Yeah, sure. And you just so happen to look like shit?" Artorian asked rhetorically, pointing out her bandaging. "I had a bone poking out of me, but I look better for wear than you do right now."

"I can assure I'm fine Artorian." She stated, rubbing her eyes as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes. "The only thing bothering me right now is just a lack of sleep. Most of the pain in my injuries is already gone."

"Did the pain keep you up?" Emilia questioned as Artorian already lost interest, going back to eating his protein bar as the two talked.

"No, my meds dealt with most of that shortly after I woke up from the mission. I just had a few bad dreams and they kept me up was all."

"I don't blame you, for a second I thought we were going to die back there. Having a few terrors probably makes sense."

"Meh, I've probably had worse." Artorian shrugged.

Liddy then looked down to her PDA, seeing there were only a few minutes before class. "I should get going, and I expect you two to do the same. Tardiness so early in the year will not be tolerated."

"We'll be sure to get there in time, don't worry." Emilia promised, waving Liddy off as she walked away.

"Oh, and Emile." Liddy spoke up, stopping for a second to face her. "Claire and Erica told me what you did, thank you for protecting me, even despite what I said to you before."

"It's no problem. We're all on the same side after all." Emilia beamed back, Liddy returning with a small smile before walking into the main building.

"You two are getting along better suddenly." Artorian noted, deciding it wasn't the best time to point out to the two that he was technically the one that protected both of them.

"What can I say, coming close to death can really bring people together. You understand that don't you?"

"I guess…" Artorian said as he finished his bar, thinking on how Emilia said they were all on the same side.

 _'I wonder if that thought would change if she knew what I really was…'_ he wondered to himself, looking down to his hand with a distant gaze as he did. He could see the faintest traces of the Abyss creep from his skin, invisible to anyone who wasn't specifically looking for it.

"Hey Artorian!" The boy's trance was then cut as he looked up, seeing Emilia stand in front of him with her hand out to him. "We're going to be late if we sit around any longer. Let's head in."

"Yeah, sure." Artorian responded as he took her hand, letting her pull him up partway before standing up fully. Grabbing his sword, the pair began to walk again, heading into the building themselves and walking through the halls before they came to classroom 1-A.

"Well, here we are!" Emilia grinned, looking over to Artorian. "Sop you ready to get this year started?"

"Oh I'm not in this class." Artorian stated, surprising her as he pointed to classroom 1-B. "I got assigned to the next class, apparently not good enough for the goodies that got great Hundred scores and academic like you."

"What!?"

"Sorry, looks like you're on your own for this part of our stay." He chuckled as he walked to his class, leaving a disappointed Emilia at her room's entrance.

"But… but we were supposed to be…"

"Cut the slack Crossfode." Matthew said as he walked past her, grabbing the back of her uniform and pulling her in with him. "Save your mopping for later."

"But it's not fair!"

* * *

"Oh, oh, oh! Artorian!" The moment the boy entered 1-B, he was instantly greeted by the sound of Reitia calling out to him, the fellow Slayer sitting near the back of the classroom by the window. She was waving over to the boy and pointing to the seat next to her, getting a reluctant sigh from him as he walked over and sat down, leaning his sword on his desk.

"So it looks like you're a fellow B student, huh?" Artorian asked, looking over to the girl after getting situated with the awkward size difference with the desk and chair.

"Yeah, guess I messed up a little on the written test or something." Reitia nodded. "So how you holding up? I didn't get the chance to see all of you in after your mission."

"Matthew didn't tell you?"

"Matthew doesn't tell me anything about his missions, it's completely unfair!" The girl then noticed Artorian's cast, pointing it out as she did. "Hey… did you get that from the Savage?"

"Oh, this?" He responded, motioning with his broken limb. "Yeah, blocked a blow that was a little too much for me, bone pierced through the skin and I made it worse by keeping up my fighting."

"Wow, that must of hurt."

"Eh, honestly I thought Liddy and Erica got the worse end of the stick. Both got slammed into buildings like they were nothing but toothpicks."

"Whoa, they're Selectives and they got taken down? That Savage must've been something else."

"It was a Trenta, not the most dangerous thing but packs a lot more of a punch than some of the pros like to admit. We got off lucky with two of us not getting any injuries."

"Claire and Matthew right?" Reitia guessed. "They are the only two in Little Garden that can summon a Full-Body Armament, so it makes sense they didn't take any hits."

"Oh hell no, I'm the reason boobs for brains didn't take a hit. Idiot thought she could take on the Trenta head on with low energy, it was a miracle she didn't get burned to a crisp."

"Pfft!" Reitia nearly had a dry spit take as she placed a hand over her mouth, stopping her outright laughing fit. "Boobs for brains, that's a good one!"

"Thanks, I try." Artorian smirked, leaning back into his chair.

"Man, I didn't think anyone would have the guts to call the Invincible Queen something like that. Even Matthew usually thinks twice when he's talking about Claire."

"Well he has better survival instincts, I'll give him that much." He commented, looking down to the burns on his arm.

"I'll say, you took her on with just a couple hours of experience with a Hundred. But you did really well for someone so new; you even had Matthew shocked with how well you did against her. But hey, that's also an advantage I think you have over both of them."

"A lack of survival instincts as an advantage? Now I've heard it all."

"You're a lot more unpredictable, they've both used Hundreds for years and are basically uncontended by anyone else here. Then you show up swinging madly and boom, now they're trying to figure out different ways to fight you. I saw Matthew with his journal actually making plans on fighting you."

"Oh did he?"

 _'Something tells me there's more to it than simply fighting me.'_

"Well that's all I know at least. I don't know her, but the fact Claire accepted you into Selections is evidence enough that she recognizes you as a potential rival."

"Yeah, but I still have a ways to go before I can fight her. And before I can even reach her, I have to get past Matthew first."

"You do?"

Claire's the top Slayer here, and Matthew's considered just below her." Artorian explained. "Our deal was that we'd fight again when I'm recognized as her equal. And before I can do that, I have to beat the person next to the top, meaning Matthew's also on my list of opponents."

"Well you're going to need all the help you can get with that. Matthew's been training since he was six, and he's kicked anyone's butt who even challenges him."

"Don't threaten me with a good time." Artorian chuckled as the teacher walked in. "Before I forget, I wanted to say… thanks."

"For what?"

"Getting Karen back the hospital. We all had to leave suddenly and I shoved that responsibility onto you."

"Oh that? That was nothing, I was glad to help."

"It wasn't nothing to me. Karen's the only person I have left that gives my life meaning. You helped us when we barely even knew each other; I even threatened you when we first met. I owe you one, so feel free to cash it in whenever."

"That… that's not necessary." Reitia said, feeling uncomfortable at hearing the son of the legendary Slayer Artorias making such an offer. "Karen was really nice, I didn't have a problem helping her. It's just what friends do, you know?"

"Friends huh… yeah, I can work with that. Still owe you that favor thought, you're not getting out of that."

"Just don't go out of your way to do anything serious, please?"

"No promises."

* * *

 **(A/N): So... this took awhile to get out. I'll admit, I don't have much of an excuse, I kinda just got a writers block for this for a bit. Add in that the site I was using to read the light novel suddenly lost everything past the duel with Claire I found it hard to write. I found a new site though and have come to a new conclusion. I'll likely be using the light novel sooner, as while I like certain elements of the anime more, the light novel offers a lot more to work with. I'm also going to be reading the full series again, as from my leave I've forgotten or am fuzzy about a good chunk of the later plot.**

 **But excluding that, I'm starting to get more excited for this series to come. It's obviously biased, but enjoy writing Artorian into this rather than reading it from Hyatt's perdsepctive. Nothing against the character, but he feels too generic for me and that is one of my personal gripes with the series.**

 **And as one last thing, once again I'm grateful for all the comments and support this series has been getting. I love hearing your feedback and glad I've sparked interest in you. Don't ever feel nervous to write what you feel, as I never shy away from anyone's questions or comments. If you don't have an active profile, I'll try answering your questions in an author's note like this, but while I don't want anyone to think what they think isn't important, I also don't want to make someone feel like they need to type anything. Just simply reading this story is all the support I need to know I'm doing something good, my goal as a writer is to make a good story and to entertain my readers. Nothing else comes first to me.**

 **This author's note's gone on long enough, so I'll sign off for the day. As always, I hope you liked the chapter and have a good day. Peace!**


	8. Bar Talk

"What's the matter Artorian? Having trouble keeping up?" Reitia would taunt as she'd run past Artorian, slamming her armored fist against his shield and causing him to slid back an inch as she zoomed past him.

"Just giving you a head start." He grinned, turning to prepare himself as the girl would make her return run directly at him.

Ten days had passed since Artorian's first mission, and since then he's long recovered and cleared for sparring by Charlotte. While it didn't impact most of the Slayers, as most were too afraid to even speak to him, it made Reitia pumped up as she immediately took the chance to challenge him to a match, to which he accepted without question.

Both had on their variable suits and Hundreds on, having now been clashing for several minutes in a battle to test the other's capabilities. For the most part it seemed to be a predetermined match, however Artorian appeared to be taking the match slowly, noting his recoils and Reitia's speed as she continued her assault.

 _'She certainly is better than I was expecting.'_ Artorian noted as he blocked a double kick from Reitia, pushing her away and swinging his sword at her, hitting nothing as she instantly jumped back. Reitia's Hundred was just a simple enhancement type, having clawed armor going up to her elbows and sharp greaves that matched her black, pink and blue variable suit.

 _'Heavy blows, fast movement, and more experience in one on one combat, she could actually be a problem if I gave her an opening.'_ He'd think as he locked his shield onto his back and gripped his Hundred sword with both hands, shifting his feet into the dirt as he readied himself for Reitia's next attack.

"Oh, done hiding behind that giant piece of metal?" Reitia grinned in excitement as she stood across the arena from him, jumping in place as she measured his stance.

"I just figured I'd make things a little more fair." He responded, cracking his neck as he looked to her eyes, waiting to see her next move. "It'd be no fun if I just let you tire yourself out, so this time I'm going to deliver the hit."

"Bring it, if you think you can keep up."

Artorian then shifted his right foot back as he focused his energy to his legs, holding his sword back to his side as he lowered himself to lunge out. The moment he pressed his foot down the ground around it cracked and he shot out at high speed, slashing out at the girl without missing a beat.

She however easily followed the attack, dodging to his side while winding her fist back. As she threw a punch out, Artorian landed back on the ground and pushed himself at her, blocking the punch with his shoulder. He winced at the pain, but pressed forward and elbowed her face, stunning her long enough to kick her in the stomach.

With his legs enhanced, the blow sent her several meters back, just stopping before she would hit the wall. As she took a second to recollect herself, Artorian was already rushing at her, forcing her to dodge away again as he pierced his sword into the wall.

But in a quick show of control, he shifted the energy in his legs to his arms, dragging the sword through the wall and swinging it at Reitia as debris shot out. A rock managed to graze her cheek but she managed to bring her arms forward to block his swing, tanking the hit and managing to prevent herself from losing ground.

"Man… those swings mean business." She commented as she then focused her own energy into her arms, matching Artorian's strength as they pushed their Hundreds against one another. "That might've done more than leave a bruise if it landed."

"Considering your energy control, I doubt it." He stated, not struggling as much in the exchange. In the past two days, all the currently enrolled Slayers had received their Hundreds and for their training would have mock battles and sparring to test their control and capabilities. And outside of Matthew and Emilia, Reitia had the best grasp on how to manipulate her energy at will.

"Says the guy who… figured out how to up his response time…" Reitia countered as she began to lose ground, feeling the dirt shifting across her feet as Artorian pushed her back.

"What can I say, I pick things up quick." He grinned as he brought his blade back, swinging at her again and knocking her back once more with a heavy swing. Having had his arm broken for the whole time, Artorian had the advantage of watching everyone's sparring as he recovered. Fighting was something in his genes, but seeing how everyone changed the way they used energy proved to be beneficial. And not so surprisingly, he picked up the trick after testing it the moment he was cleared.

"Oh yeah, but can you pick this up?" Reitia questioned as she opened her palm, a sphere of pink energy forming in the center. She then grinned as she threw her hand forward, firing the energy as a projectile right at him.

 _'That's new!'_ He thought in shock as he swung his sword down, the impact sending him skidding back while the sphere pushed against the sword. Growling, he focused his energy back into his feet to stop himself before redirecting the energy mainly to his feet, making sure he kept a firm grip on his sword as he fought against the attack.

Despite his quick learning, there was still a key problem Artorian had in comparison to the rest of the Slayers: he was unable to enhance more than a single area of his body. He had to put all of his focus into where his energy was going, that if he tried to spread that to both his arms and legs, the energy would dissipate and he'd have no enhancement.

That however wasn't a weakness he was willing to let Reitia exploit, as once he felt himself have a good footing he instantly directed all of his energy into his arms. Clenching his teeth hard, he fought against her projectile without flaw, keeping it from pushing his blade back.

"Ragh!" With a bellow of power, Artorian managed to cut down the attack and let the blast separate around him, exploding at his sides and causing dust to form around him. He had only a second to collect himself when Reitia suddenly lunged at him from the smoke, a second sphere in her hand as she quickly approached him.

"Try and block this!" She grinned as she threw her hand forward, attempting to slam the attack directly into his side while moving at high speeds.

As the girl approached him, Artorian could feel his body begin to fluctuate, his heart rate accelerating while he began to heat up. And as his eyes slowly began to turn gold her knew that it was his Variant Virus kicking in.

 _'No, NO! Don't let it activate!'_ He thought with a growl, forcing his instincts to lower and allow the power to dissipate. Just as he did Reitia was directly at his side, leaving him little time to react or come up with a plan.

So as the remnants of his instincts kicked into gear, he threw his right hand forward and reached towards Reitia. He then caught her off guard as he grabbed onto the sphere, focusing his energy into his hand in order to get a grip of it.

"W-Whoa…" Reitia spoke in shock as Artorian kept her back, keeping her attack back with nothing but his natural strength as all his energy was busy keeping ahold of her attack.

"Why bother blocking it, when I can catch it!" Artorian responded as he brought his sword up and slammed it against Reitia's side. It had happened fast enough that the girl at first didn't even realize she was hit until she was slammed back first into the wall, her energy dissipating as her body cried out from the pain.

She had manage to land on a knee as she caught herself before she fell, however the moment she looked up Artorian had the edge of his sword right in front of her face, stopping his attack from connecting.

"I'd say that's my win."

"Darn it…" Reitia half whined as her Hundred deactivated and she raised her hands up in surrender. "I give up."

"That makes it official: Artorian wins the match." Matthew announced, having served as the referee for the spar.

"Man, I was expecting to do more than that." Reitia said as she looked down, disappointed with the results of the match.

"You did good for what it's worth." Artorian responded, pocketing his Hundred and extending his hand down to Reitia, helping her up. "Your energy control's a lot better than I thought it would be, that attack of yours might've done something if I didn't block it."

"Thanks."

"Still kicked your ass though." The response got a chuckle from the pair as Reitia punched his arm.

"Jerk."

* * *

"You've gotten even better with your Hundred Artorian." Emilia grinned as the boy walked out of the lockers, rolling his shoulders as he was back in his uniform.

"You think?" He asked, placing his arms over his sword as he held it across his shoulders. "It didn't feel any different then the last two times I used it."

"Your energy manipulation is improving, that alone is impressive given your limited experience." She noted, the two walking next to each other. "Add in how well you managed to take on Reitia in close quarters shows your reaction timing is improving."

"I just blocked and countered Emile, it isn't anything impressive. Besides, fighting like that is much more natural to me. Claire and the Savage were unfamiliar territory; Reitia was the first battle that I've done before. Minus that energy attack she tried to hit me with."

"How many fights were you in before you joined Little Garden?"

"Probably a few dozen, worked in a bad part of town at night back then." He recalled. "After the Savage attack, a couple gangs popped up from time to time. And apparently seeing someone walking around with a greatsword isn't enough of a red flag to stay away."

"You were mugged!?"

"Only once or twice, won the rest after that." He chuckled, motioning to the girl with the left of his head. "Took a brick out of nowhere, learned to always keep an eye open. Although I can't say those were my best opportunities for fighting. Nah, that'd go to the tournament I took part in."

"Wow, even a tournament? How'd that turn out?" Emilia would ask, however she would be sure they had a proper conversation about the importance of him getting mugged.

"I'll tell you after we change." Artorian promised, pulling on his uniform's collar. "I may be getting used to this, but the uniform look certainly isn't my favorite."

"Sure, and hey maybe we can go get lunch too." Emilia added in, getting a nod from the boy.

"Artorian!"

"Congratulations on your victory!"

Before the two could get too far from the lockers, they were suddenly approached by Liu and Noa.

"Oh, it's you two." Artorian commented, recognizing the two. "Haven't seen you since the duel with Claire. Loa and Niu right?"

"Liu and Noa, but close." Noa corrected, getting a shrug from the boy.

"Right… so what's up? I'm guessing you came here for something?" He asked, not entirely sure what to go off of from the little the two have said or his interactions with them.

"Well the thing is, we're capable of preforming a deployment with our Hundreds, but we're having some trouble with manipulating our energy for proper combat advancements." Liu explained, getting a raised eyebrow from both Artorian and Emilia in response.

"See, I have a rapier chevalier type and Liu has a spear phalanx type, so we have to fight more properly in direct combat like you. That's why… we want you to help train us, since our styles are similar. Or… are you not able to?" At Noa request, Artorian had immediately appeared uncomfortable, looking away for a second as the two girls looked up to him.

 _'I've only just grasped energy manipulation for myself, teaching someone is way outside of my ball park. But not to mention there's no way our styles are similar; how the hell do they think a rapier and spear can be properly trained by a greatsword?'_

"Well you see, the thing is-"

"Artorian, Claire is calling for you." Before Artorian could properly respond, Erica had spoken up, having approached the group while they were talking. "Would you please come to the Student Council room with me? Preferably the sooner the better."

 _'Oh thank the Gods.'_

"Well you two, I'd love to stay but duty calls and all that." Artorian said, thanking the chance to get out of the situation. "So what's it about four-eyes? What does the great Perfect Queen want of her knight?"

"You're being assigned a mission for Selections." Erica informed, confusing Emilia.

"Wait, only Artorian is being summoned?" She'd ask.

"Yes, the mission exclusively involves him. Would you please follow me Artorian?"

"Sure thing." He shrugged, patting Emilia's head as he walked off. "We'll make plans for a hang out later. Sound good?"

"Yeah." Emilia sighed, although she was smiling as he walked past her. "Good luck!"

* * *

"So, not a day goes by since your arm heals and you already accept a sparring match with one of the top hand-to-hand students in Little Garden?" Claire asked as she sat at her desk, looking up to Artorian as he stood in front of her.

"I don't like being inactive, I wasn't able to train and was left watching everyone else have matches." He explained, annoyed at the tone the student president was using. It felt like a lecture, which he very much didn't like. "It was one match and I won, so there shouldn't be any problems."

"Maybe, but you must remember that you're a member of Selections now." Claire would remind him, pointing to the added red stripes that detailed Artorian's uniform. "As such, you could be assigned a mission at a moments notice. You're required to have as much energy as possible, so it would be in your best interest to avoid unnecessary battles."

"Whatever, did you call me down here for this lecture or for an actual mission?" Artorian asked, wanting to get to the point of this meeting.

"If you insist." Claire sighed, shaking her head before putting on a stern expression. "You are aware that we intend to dock on the Zwei Islands next week, correct?"

"Yeah… what about it?"

"On Monday, Sakura Kirishima's live concert will be held since it was delayed from the Savage attack."

"I know that too, got cheated out of the chance for tickets because of the damn Savage." He said the last bit underneath his breath, hating the fact he had considering going. But since it was for Karen, he would have been willing to suffer through the couple hours of fake singing.

"Well then I shouldn't have to remind you that Little Garden has been assigned to handle security for her outdoor event. But there is one other thing that was added on that may be… troublesome."

"Troublesome how?"

"Ms. Kirishima had requested quite specifically that you be her active security while she was on the islands, more specifically her bodyguard." Chris said, bringing up the information up on a holo-screen from his PDA.

"Nope." Artorian simply responded, catching the president off guard.

"I'm sorry?"

"I said nope. Nada, ain't happenin', no way." Artorian detailed, not hiding his disinterest in looking after the idol. "You can find someone else, cause I ain't gonna do it."

"Artorian this is important-"

"I already said no."

"This security measure is vital in-"

"The chances are still zero, not ever happening."

"There are still Savage likely hiding on the island."

"Doesn't concern-" Artorian stopped halfway as he picked up her words, looking down to the president. "What was that again?"

"There are likely still Savage hidden on the islands." She detailed, folding her hands together as she continued. "When we had fought them, there were reportedly seven Savage that broke through the atmosphere. Aside from the five we had killed, neither of the other two's corpses were found."

"Which means in return that they are still on the loose." Chris detailed. "The most likely outcome is they fell into the sea, making it a near impossible task to find them. But we believe at some point that they will resurface, that is why we were hired for security."

"So you want me to guard the pink princess on the off chance one of the ugly bastards show themselves?" Artorian asked, getting a nod from the two. "Still no."

"What then?" Claire asked, confusing the boy as she placed her hands down. "What is it you want?"

"Pardon me?"

"From previous considerations, it was a likely guess that you would be against protecting Sakura. So I am asking you here and now if there is anything that I may offer you in turn for taking this job."

"This is bribery, and I love it." Artorian grinned, rubbing his chin with his free hand. "So you're asking explicitly if I would accept anything in order to protect Sakura?"

"There is a limit, but I would try to do the best in my ability in order to get it?"

"Well, I assume a night with you's out of the question." The boy would say off handily, causing Claire's cheeks to flare red as she looked at him.

"Y-You dare say-!"

"Relax, it was only a joke… mostly." He whispered the last part, smirking at Claire's embarrassed expression. "Well when it comes down to it, I really don't want to have to bother babysitting a spoiled brat of an idol. But at the same time, there's a promise I made that I have to keep no matter what. So I'll go on this little "mission" on one condition."

"Name it."

* * *

"N-No way…" Karen half gasped as she looked into her hand, the bright ticket in her hand appearing as a shining star to the girl. "This is a VIP ticket for Sakura's concert!"

"Yep, I made sure to get it specially ordered for you." Artorian smiled as he sat next to Karen's bed. "It cost me quite a bit, but I made a promise to get you a ticket and I fully intended to keep it. I even made sure to get an all clear from Miharu for it."

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Karen exclaimed as she leaned to wrap her arms around Artorian's neck in a hug, the girl smiling brighter than ever before.

"Well, I can't entirely say that I got it my own though." Artorian admitted, returning the hug. "I got a little bit of help from Claire with an underhanded tactic. But she complied pretty quickly with my terms."

"You mean the blonde haired bim… er, the president?" Karen asked as the two separated. "She's actually a nice person?"

"Well, she has her moments." He chuckled, finding Karen's near slip up to be amusing.

"Still, wow! I can't believe we're going to go watch Sakura's concert live!" Karen beamed, looking back to the ticket with a gleeful smile. "We have to get you prepared for when the concert starts. Which means we have to listen to her best hits, starting with-!"

"Actually… about that." Artorian started to speak, wincing as Karen looked back to him. "I'm not going to be able to be there with you."

"What? But why not? I thought we were going to be able to watch it together…"

 _'Damn it, not the puppy eyes!'_

"W-Well the thing is, I kind of have an important assignment and… hell I'll just come out and say it." The Slayer would sigh, not wanting to lie to Karen in face of her sad expression. "I can't go to the concert because I'm going to be Sakura's bodyguard."

"Eeeeeeh! You're going to be guarding Saku-!?"

"Shh!" He hushed her. "No one else is supposed to know outside of Selections. I broke the rules to tell you so you'd understand, although I probably would've broken it anyways."

"R-Right… sorry." Karen apologized, flustered at the rush of her own excitement. "Artorian? Since you're going to be Sakura's bodyguard, that means you'll be around her a lot and able to talk to her, right?"

"Unfortunately, why?" He asked, although he didn't feel to confident when he saw her eyes begin to sparkle and glow with hope.

"I have a favor to ask of you then."

* * *

"Now let's think here." Artorian spoke to himself as he cleaned a glass cup from behind a counter. The days seemed to be flying by, and it was just a few hours before his first official mission would start. And while he worked through the slow hours of his job in a small bar on Little Garden he planned on how exactly he would handle dealing with the idol.

"Kirishima is likely going to be a constant attention whore, so half listening and just nodding in agreement with everything she says will be the most effective way to get through this." He then grabbed a cloth and began to wipe the glass dry; wincing as he thought about the music Karen was forcing him to listen to.

"And maybe buy some earplugs, if she starts singing it'll be even worse than the garbage she pretends to make." He groaned as he put the cup down, slamming his head on the counter as the music continued to play. "It's so fake, I swear to the Gods I have no idea how anyone can like this garbage!"

"Many people say Kirishima's music gives them a sense of relaxation and peace." Looking up from the counter, Artorian was confused at seeing Liddy, the vice president wearing her uniform as she stood at the entrance.

"I can't possibly believe that, it feels like two drills are going through my head to make a tunnel." He said, straightening back up while Liddy walked in with the door closing. "I'm surprised to see you here, wouldn't expect one of Claire's lackeys degrading herself to the lesser bars of this battleship."

"Couldn't sleep." Liddy admitted, sitting on a bar stool and placing her arms on the counter. "And the sounds in the upper district always give me a headache, this place seemed like the best choice."

"Really? Well the lights are dim at least." Artorian responded, referring to how the lights above them are partially on, tinted in order to be easier on the eyes. Although to him it was no different than standing in broad daylight, an effect of his condition.

"No, the light isn't my problem." Liddy admitted as she rubbed her eyes, wincing as her body went through a second of fatigue. "It's just a little quieter, so I can actually hear my own thoughts for a bit."

"So are you here just for a second of silence, or would you like a drink?" Artorian asked, taking note of Liddy's appearance. He could clearly tell she was exhausted, the bags around her eyes all he needed for evidence. But the rest of her didn't give much of a look; from her slacking posture, how sloppily put together her uniform currently was, and her barely tied back hair; she looked like a real mess.

"I'm seventeen, I'm not legal." Liddy stated, looking up to Artorian as he reached behind the counter.

"Maybe, but you certainly look like shit." He said, bringing out a bottle of scotch. "It might not be a fancy brand but it'll warm you up and maybe help get a bit of sleep in you."

Liddy looked from Artorian to the scotch several times, appearing to heavily debate whether it was a good idea or not to actually take the drink. On one hand, she was completely exhausted and anything that promised the chance of sleep was more than tempting. On the other hand, she was still a vice president and Claire's trusted friend; if she were caught drinking like this it would damage both their reputations.

"Fine, but only a small glass." Liddy eventually relented, her desire for sleep taking over her need to keep a reputation as she rested her head on the counter.

"One shot of scotch coming right up." Pulling out two shot glasses, the boy would pour a small bit of the drink into each, placing the bottle aside and pushing one of them towards Liddy. When the girl looked back up to him, she would see him hold the second shot glass, holding it between them with a small smile. "Well, you gonna leave me hanging?"

Liddy sighed as she pushed herself upright before grabbing the glass, gently tapping the tip of hers to his in a small mock toast. Artorian's smile turned to a grin as he downed his shot right after, sighing in satisfaction as he placed the glass down.

"Not that great, but it at least feels nice going down." He commented, watching as Liddy looked at the glass. "Let me guess, first time drinking?"

"Was the fact I was against it any signal?" Liddy asked with a half lidded expression, taking a whiff of the drink before cringing lightly. "How much alcohol is in this?"

"Not much, as I said it isn't a great brand." He answered, although looking at Liddy in confusion. Smelling alcohol was possible, but from a small amount it shouldn't be that bad of a scent, even for a first time drinker like her.

"Well… cheers, right?" She half asked before slowly bringing it up to drink. She started with a small sip, although that sip turned to a sudden chug after the initial warmth the drink brought her.

"See, not that bad now is it?" Artorian chuckled, watching as Liddy placed the glass back on the counter. "Feel anything? First time drinking usually gets to people."

"No, I feel fine." She responded. "But you were right, it was warm going down, at least there's that."

"Well my boss doesn't take inventory on our current stock if there's a shipment for another batch coming in." Artorian said, motioning to the scotch. "We got a case of this coming in tomorrow, so we're free to help ourselves for the night if you want."

"I do not intend to drink for the rest of the night." Liddy spoke, attempting to narrow her eyes at him. Although due to her tired state, it looked little more than an exhausted glance, getting another chuckle from him.

"Well if you say so, more for me." He'd say before pouring himself another shot. "So if you don't mind me asking, what's keeping you up?" He'd ask as he filled her glass, despite her warning glare. "I don't take you for the person to risk losing sleep."

"Why do you want to know?"

"No reason, just to pass the time if you won't spend it drinking." He answered, downing his second shot.

The vice president appeared to still be annoyed, but relented and picked her glass up, drinking it slower this time to keep a level of control. "I've been having nightmares." She spoke, getting his attention as he poured a third drink for him. "I know, stupid and childish, I should just get over it and go back to sleep. Or would you prefer I guess the more insulting and derogatory statement you would say to me?"

"Not at all." He said, taking a second to hold his glass before downing the shot again. "Nightmares are a real bitch for me, so trust me you won't get any judgment from me on that." He then motioned the bottle to Liddy, silently asking for her permission before getting a reluctant nod.

"You get nightmares too?"

"Oh, every time I sleep." He admitted. "Although mine are pretty intense, so I don't know how much of a comparison mine can be for yours."

"…I keep… dreaming about the mission." Artorian paused after filling Liddy's glass again, caught off guard when she spoke. "I don't know why, I've been in life or death situations before, but my recent nightmares always spark from that day."

"Sparked? You mean that isn't the bulk of it?" Artorian would've understood simply if the near death experience alone were her source of unrest, the situation in any circumstance would understandably leave issues. But apparently to her it only seemed to be the start of things.

"…You have to promise." Liddy started to speak, rubbing her eyes as she did. "Promise you won't tell anyone. This is… personal, and I don't want anyone, not even Claire, to know about this."

"My lips are sealed." He stated, his face serious before pouring himself another shot and turning off the idol music.

"Every time, the dreams start out the same." Liddy would begin, taking a second to prepare herself by downing her shot. "Erica wraps up the Trenta with her Hundred, I'm lined up to break the armor and destroy the core. And then it swings her and knocks the both of us down. Moment for moment identical." Artorian would nod, not interrupting as he filled her glass again.

"But after that, it would change completely." She stated, pulling her hand away from her glass as she looked into the liquid, seeing her reflection. "The first time, I opened my eyes to see the entire city completely razed to the ground. Everything was burning or completely destroyed. I couldn't find anyone and after a minute I looked up and saw… I saw countless Savage falling from the sky. And shortly after, several regular Savage surrounded me and I… they ripped me to pieces."

"The second one I woke up to see the city still intact, but the Trenta was still alive. Claire and Erica were in its claws, and I saw Emile and Matthew's bodies surrounded by their own blood. And you were…" Liddy gagged as she thought back, leaving Artorian to wince a bit in response. "The Savage mutated its mouth, whatever was left of you was guts and bone stuck in its teeth."

"Not big on gore?" A simple nod was his only answer, but he wasn't one to judge. In fact, he seemed to be taking this more seriously, as he put his glass and the bottle down to walk around the counter, sitting on the stool next to her as he started to notice her shaking.

"Each night it got worse and worse until… until…" She then looked down for a second, tightening her hands into a fist as she tried to control herself, staring at her reflection as she felt her eyes playing tricks on her and saw a black visage stare back. "Artorian… you know that I do not hold any standard bias towards you correct?"

"You were willing to give Claire a loss for breaking her rule in our duel and have pretty much been respectable, so yeah."

"Then please understand that what I say next is by no standard a reflection of what I think of you." Liddy stated before taking a calming breathe, shaking her head to remove the image of the visage from her reflection.

"Tonight I saw the most intense one yet. In it, the Trenta Savage was destroyed, and you were standing over it with the core impaled through your sword." Artorian nodded, signaling for her to continue. "But what I saw wasn't someone in control, as you stood over it you were screaming in what felt like agonizing rage. Like a wild beast."

"Shortly after your victory, you looked to Emile as he approached you, appearing to try and calm you when you just… you cut him down right there." Artorian by now had a measuring stare on him, now taking in every detail that she says as she continued on. "Right down the middle, you cut him in half like he was nothing but butter. And you just, stared in satisfaction at what you did, even liking your blade clean of his blood."

"Matthew then fired a blast at you, so much that there was an explosion that I swear not even a Savage could survive. But you just shot right out of it at him and impaled him through his chest. You were attempting to push your blade down through him when Claire interrupted you, firing point blank shots that completely destroyed your arms. But it wasn't even a second some black mass was escaping the wounds and your arms just, they just grew back."

"You didn't even give her a chance to register what happened when your arm went right through her chest, her heart was still beating in your grip as you stared her dead in the eyes, grinning as you ripped it right out of her. I could only hear Erica's screaming as you placed your foot on Matthew's head before everything just… everything went black the moment you crushed Claire's heart and slammed your foot down."

The bar was silent as the vice president finished retelling her dream, looking down at shame as she thought over what she saw. Here she was, telling the person who had saved both her and Emile from certain death that she dreamt of him slaughtering not only his friend, but also two of their comrades without mercy. She didn't fault herself for having the dream, but hated the fact her mind made her feel that it was real, struggling to get the sounds of Matthew's head crunching underneath his foot and Erica's scream of horror at the sight of Claire falling.

But as she did, Artorian appeared completely calm, even giving her a sympathetic stare as he looked to the girl. It was a familiar scene, one that played differently but had the same message and torturous fears that he had seen every time he rested his eyes. An image of a monster hiding behind a teenager's face, a well of sorrows and rage releasing itself like a deadly plague, an Abyss.

"I'm… thank you for listening." Liddy muttered, pushing her still full glass to him as she attempted to stand up. "I apologize for bothering you, but I'm grateful to at least have it off my chest. Maybe I'll be able to at least rest enough to-"

"Wait." Before she could go anywhere, Artorian had reached and grabbed her arm, his grip surprisingly gentle as he looked over to her. "Stay for one more drink, there's something I want to give you."

"I've troubled you enough, you don't have to."

 _'Yes, I do.'_

"It's just something small. I promise it'll help a bit."

Liddy appeared hesitant, although based on the look in Artorian's eyes convinced her to at least hear him out, feeling he deserved that courtesy after him listening to her. So she sat down, letting him move her glass back to her as he reached for his own.

"My dreams are pretty bad, but I have something that is supposed to help out with it." He spoke as he reached into his jacket's pocket, pulling out a small container of pills. "Don't worry, they're nothing bad or illegal. I actually get these specifically to try and help me when I sleep."

"What are they?" Liddy asked, seeing the black pills.

"Medicine, a relaxant that helps ease the mind and limit subconscious thoughts." He explained. "They're not common, but they don't require prescriptions. Charlotte actually gave me these after my third night here."

"Dimandias?"

"It was one of the medications given to first generation Slayers to ease their minds after the procedures they went through." He detailed. "These are newer, not sure how much better they are compared to the batch she originally made, but she said it would help with nightmares."

"Artorian, I appreciate the offer but I can't just accept pills from-"

"Liddy, I swear on my father's name that this is completely safe." Artorian interrupted, motioning to his sword resting at the end of the counter. "These are completely legal, and I'm authorized by Charlotte to give them out if I feel it is necessary. And I promise you; you'll get a peaceful night's sleep. But I only ask you to tell me how you feel once you wake up."

"How I feel? What do you mean by that?"

"Are you numb, do your legs or arms feel weak, and most importantly if you have an extended sensitivity to light, anything lasting over an hour from waking up. Okay?"

"…I have your word, this is completely safe?" A single, confident nod was all Liddy got, the Slayer weighing her options before sighing. He hadn't led her astray thus far; she had no reason to doubt him now. "Fine, I'll try it for tonight and tonight only."

"That's all I ask." Opening the container, Artorian reached in and pulled out two pills, placing them down in Liddy's palm. "Take these two at most an hour before you go to bed. It doesn't matter if you drink anything before or after, but be sure you're certain of going to sleep within the next hour. You can eat fruits and vegetables after, but no meat or grains. Understood?"

"Yes, thank you." Liddy said, pocketing the two into her uniform.

"Good, then our last toast." He said, picking up his glass and holding it to her. "To a good night's sleep for the Student Council vice president."

"And a good night for you as well." The two toasted, tapping their glasses together before downing the shots, letting the warmth calm them before putting the glasses down. "Thank you again Artorian, this was…"

"Okay?"

"Nice, for drinking for the first time."

"It's nice having someone to drink with. You're natural, maybe we should have a contest and see who can drink more." He chuckled, getting a silent stare from her.

"Not happening."

"Eh, had to try." He chuckle smiled before standing up. "Here, I walk you back to the dorms."

"I'm fine, you still have work anyways." Liddy responded, standing up herself.

"Eh, not like anyone's actually coming here." He said, moving to put everything away before grabbing his sword. "Besides, I put those drinks in you. The least I can do is see a beautiful young woman such as yourself safely return to her room."

"You get in trouble, it's not my fault." She said, turning to walk out. Although Artorian rolled his eyes, noting the attempt to brush off his words fail from her subtle blush.

"Whatever you say." He'd say before he looked down, a tinge of guilt pulling his chest as he followed her, shaking it off his face as he locked the door behind them.

 _'I need to call Charlotte.'_ He thought. _'Hopefully she's still awake.'_

* * *

 **(A/N): So... this is here. I'm a little upset at how long it took me to write this, but I've been on and off with reading the Light Novel. I took a break from it and just started to read it again, so I've only just started the seventh volume. I can read maybe a volume every week, only because I feel such a need on ways that I can change it to what I feel could at least be better to understand. Still good, but there's a noticeable pattern in each volume. I'll be trying to post to this story more frequently, I'm far enough that I can at least set the basis for the next twenty or so chapters in terms of time and events, so I'll at least now have a more clear path in the works.**

 **Hope this chapter was entertaining and was at least worth the wait. Peace!**


	9. Guard Duty

"This is bullshit." Artorian scoffed as he sat in the back of a limousine, his arms crossed as Matthew sat on the couch across from him.

"You have said that once, or ten times." Matthew responded, rolling his eyes as he continued to look out the window.

"I'm not supposed to be on the clock until noon, why the hell do I have to pick up Princess Cotton Candy from the fucking airport?"

"Because Claire and Erica are in the middle of a meeting with the governor's staff on security and Kirishima arrived an hour earlier than expected."

"Pushing her shit on me, I bet Claire had this planned to get back at me." Artorian growled as he tightened his fingers on his arms, imagining the smug grin on the blonde's face right now. "Trying to get back at me for the bribery no doubt."

"Claire isn't one for revenge, you're just petty."

"And then there's the company I'm stuck with for this damn ride." He added on, motioning to the Slayer in front of him. "Why the hell were you chosen to come along for this stupid thing anyways?"

"I have business in the area we're picking Kirishima up at, and Liddy's still asleep." Matthew then turned his gaze to Artorian, his eyes narrowing as he did. "I heard she's been having a lot of bad nightmares recently, and now she's sleeping soundly to the extent we couldn't even wake her up. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

"Don't bother being a smartass." Artorian sighed. "I don't know for certain, but I have a good feeling on it. We'll have to wait until she wakes up and Charlotte can get the proper evaluation on her."

"I swear on Gwyn's name, if you cost us a Slayer-"

"The gestation period is two months, it hasn't been long enough for it to fully settle in." He interrupted, returning the narrow stare. "Even if it is the Abyss, she has time left. Not to mention she's human, she would just have to go through the procedure and it's gone. So keep your murder boner down until Charlotte can give us an exact answer."

"I don't have a murder boner."

"Dude, it's a pretty murderous boner."

"It can barely be trusted with a chosen bearer, risking the Abyss spreading through your Vessels is something I cannot and will not accept. Why do you even care for Liddy's condition, you two have no prior history outside of the past twelve days."

"Well, you know what they say "Birds of a feather"…" Artorian muttered as he looked out the window.

"So then, do you have your equipment all sorted out?" Matthew spoke on, the two having finished the subject of Liddy and moving on to the mission. A very down to the point conversation that the two have had repeatedly through their interactions.

"Tranquilizer is in front pocket." Artorian said, unbuttoning the pocket on his uniform's chest to show the gun. It wasn't anything special; just an N-Tranquilizer that was made to disrupt the motor functions of both civilians and Slayers by messing with their energy system. "And the scanner thing is in my back pocket." He added on, patting on his waist to signal he had the Sonar module.

After that, Artorian's PDA rang, confusing the two as he reached into his pocket to pull the device out.

"Crossfode?"

"Nope, Karen." He sighed, reading the message to himself.

 _ **Please remember to get me an autograph of Sakura. I had also taken the liberty this morning to read your fortune for the day and it warned to be "Cautious with Women and Water" so please be careful ~Karen**_

"Leave it to her to bring up something like that." He shook his head as he put his PDA back into his pocket, shelving the fortune away in his mind while kicking himself in having to remember to get the autograph.

The two remained seated in silence for the remainder of the drive before arriving at the landing zone, exiting the limo in order to walk up to where Sakura would land on Little Garden. The two stood at the ready, Artorian although moving his shoulders in discomfort, his sword in the trunk of the limo due to the regulations on his weapon for escort missions. It left him uncomfortable, not often going anywhere without it on him outside of the two duels he's had now.

After a few minutes of waiting, Matthew would place a hand to his ear, nodding as conformation on Sakura's imminent approach was relayed to him. A few seconds later the sound of propellers cutting through the air were heard, and in time the two felt the pressure of the helicopter as it flew overhead, turning to face the sides to them as it hovered over the landing pad.

Once the helicopter landed, it'd be a few seconds before the propellers came to a stop, and shortly after the ramp would extend out and the hatch opened. The sound of heels clicking on metal was heard before out came the girl Artorian was hired to protect: Sakura Kirishima.

To his pain, her hair and eyes was the same bright shade of pink as they were in her concerts, braided back by two barrettes to be tied in the shape of a cherry blossom, annoying him more due to the reference to her name. She had bright teal dress that had her shoulders exposed and hot pants. Overall, she wasn't as much pain for his eyes as she was in her concert getup, but it certainly didn't make Artorian feel any better about the situation.

 _'It's shame she can't at least get that stuff out of her hair and eyes, she'd be a catch if she did.'_ He mentally joked to himself, admitting that while she was quite the prize for eyes, the bright colors and painful signing had it solidified she wasn't someone of his tastes; which luckily would make things easier.

Next to Sakura though was a woman in a suit, her appearance much more simplistic with her only defining wear being the shaded glasses on her, likely designed to change in order to adapt to brightness. Artorian knew she was some kind of agent for the idol, but he didn't have to know much more on her to work with than her name: Souffle Clearrail.

"Welcome to Little Garden Ms. Kirishima and Dr. Clearrail." Matthew bowed, getting a sideways glance from Artorian as he did. "I assume that the travel was to your comfort?"

"Yes, thank you for being so gracious." Sakura responded, approaching the Slayer from the ramp. When she had reached the bottom, he had offered his hand to assist with the last step, which she accepted before stepping down. "May I ask your name?"

"My name is Matthew Ornisium, a member of Little Garden's Selections." He introduced as Artorian helped Clearrail down, even taking her bag as she stepped down.

"Selections?"

"A group of students that are of high caliber in comparison to our classmates." The Slayer would explain. "We're chosen to accept missions and offer assistance for Warslran in case of a shortage of active Slayers."

"I thank you for taking the time out of your day to see my arrival." Sakura would once again thank as Artorian walked by, picking up her bag for her. "And would I be correct to assume you're Artorian Abyssal?"

"…" Artorian would remain silent for a second, knowing full well he would rather just stay quite for the duration of the day. However a quick stare from Matthew would get him to roll his eyes, knowing that wouldn't be possible for the mission. "Yes, although just Artorian is fine. Not a fan of my last name."

"A pleasure to meet you. From this day onwards, you are my bodyguard. I will be in your care."

"Yeah, great…" Artorian said, although none too enthusiastically as he did.

"Would you then be willing to show me Little Garden please?" Sakura would ask, getting a head tilt from Artorian.

"Pardon?"

"You're my guardian today, correct? Aren't you obliged to escort me?"

 _'This little…!'_

"I'm afraid that will have to wait Ms. Kirishima." Matthew interrupted, Artorian appearing to have a poker face however it was clear to him that his views on the girl would harbor ill intent for a simple request such as that. "We still need to get you to Central before anything else, and we'll have to get through the busiest section of Little Garden to get there. If you would please follow us, we will escort you to the limo."

"Of course!" Sakura smiled, appearing upbeat while following Matthew, Artorian trailing behind to allow as little time close to the pinkette before getting stuck in a car with her.

"I apologize for Sakura's sudden request, it was impolite for her to ask so soon into meeting you." Souffle would say, walking next to Artorian.

"Yeah well, keep a tighter leash on her." He said, sure to avoid being loud enough for the idol to hear him.

"I take it you're not very much of a fan of this job?"

"I'll be sure to avoid being rude to the precious idol and act on my best, but don't be surprised if I'm not going to do it with a smile." He stated, although being respectful to the idol's manager as he did. "Not to mention I signed on to fight Savage, not escort spoiled idols for their next gig."

That last comment had Souffle remain silent, simply walking forward and giving Artorian the impression that he might've hit a nerve. It wasn't anything big he cared about, as the two's interactions would be limited even less than his with the idol. Although it was something that made him wonder why she felt so stern on his words.

When they had packed into the limo, Matthew and Souffle would be sitting on the opposite side of the seats from Artorian and Sakura, the boy grateful there was more than enough space to avoid being in contact with Sakura. He was sure to look out the window as they drove, not wanting to spark a conversation with her but was certain one would start.

Of course at the same time, Sakura was taking in the scenery of Little Garden herself. The idol would be humming a song while she did, a smile on her face as she was enjoying seeing the advanced warship and ocean view across the way from them.

"Hey Artorian, have you heard my songs?" Sakura would ask, turning and scooting a bit closer to the boy to look more closely at him.

 _'Oh here we go…'_ Matthew sighed as he closed his eyes, figuring this would be the downward spiral to a long drive.

"…Only a little, not a huge fan of music if I'm being honest." Artorian would say coolly, being sure to avoid making any serious remarks despite what he would want to say. It wasn't a lie though, as he listened to the few songs Karen tried to get him to hear in preparation for being Sakura's bodyguard.

"That's mean, you haven't listened to many of them." Sakura would pout as she turned back around to her window, a look of childish disappointment on her face. "That's too bad…"

 _'Oh you are SO lucky I cannot speak my free mind you pompous brat!'_ He would scream internally, although he completely kept his composure to look back outside. _'Maybe you're just not a fucking perfect sensation, you ear splitting tuff of bubblegum! Ever think of it like that!?'_

 _'I'm glad I won't be here for this whole thing.'_ Matthew would think, already telling from the small conversation itself that this would likely be a hellhole to try and keep calm.

* * *

"That didn't even seem remotely busy." Sakura would half whine as she got out of the limo. It had only taken them five minutes to make it to their destination, although the painful silence had made it feel like an hour for the Slayers.

"It's early, we expect there'll be a lot more people coming from the islands to tour public sections of the ship in a few hours." Matthew explained, having opened the door for Sakura so that they could tour Central for a few minutes.

"You know, being a revolutionary advancement for Warslran I was almost expecting this ship to be a little more… futuristic." She would comment, looking around while Artorian was trailing behind, his hands in his pocket as he kept a close eye on anyone around them.

"I'm not the most informed here, but I believe they went for a more common city appearance for the sake of new arrivals. That way they aren't completely overwhelmed and have a sense of familiarity."

"Plenty of different food joints though, so that's nice." Artorian would comment, trying to appear somewhat active in his job without saying too much.

They would be walking for a while before a sudden ringing hit Artorian's ear, and while he had winced before placing a hand over his ear Sakura would turn in excitement as a one of the many giant screens were playing a video of her.

"Ah, my promotional video is playing here, how exciting!" She smiled as she did, her singing coming out fluently and perfectly for everyone watching and enjoying themselves.

 _'I seriously don't get how this garbage is good.'_ For the boy on the other hand, he was hearing a constant ring as her voice came out of the screen, a sensation familiar to some of the other times he's heard her music but not a direct constant. It did however play into his distaste in her music though, as it was painful to keep hearing.

"So Artorian, what do you think of my song?" Sakura would ask, turning back to the boy with hopeful eyes.

 _'Fuck!'_

"It's… a great song." He would force himself to say, not smiling but forcing a smirk without making it too obvious. "Certainly one of the better ones I've heard."

"Thank you, I worked hard to make it!" She giggled, her smile brightening as she turned back to face where she was walking.

 _'Yeah, and my arms are the picture of health.'_

"I'm sorry if you're enjoying yourself Ms. Kirishima, but we should be heading for the hotel now." Matthew informed, looking to his PDA for the time. "If we don't get you signed in soon, we may encounter a few delays, which would push back your schedule back further."

"Yes, it's been nice to see the area for awhile." Sakura said, stretching a bit to loosen herself. "It would be nice to finally be in a room, I've been in a plane for most of the day yesterday and haven't been able to take a bath or change."

"You likely won't have time for that bath unfortunately." Matthew spoke, putting his PDA into his pocket as he did. "If we're to get you to your meeting with the governor you won't have much more time than to get unpacked and change clothes."

"Wait, but the meeting isn't meant to be done until just before noon. I haven't been informed that the time of the meeting has been changed. I would like to meet with the President who had set up to meet us at the airport beforehand."

At Sakura's demand, both Matthew and Artorian cringed, although the former had the luxury of being ahead of her therefore his expression was hidden by his back, while the latter was behind to keep his expression secret as well. But a quick correction of their expressions allowed them to look back to Souffle, who nodded her head in confirmation that they were not informed of the change in time for the security meeting.

"I see, I'm sorry that we were unable to inform you of the change of schedule." Matthew apologized, recovering from his momentary lapse and go back to his usual level of professionalism. "However I'm afraid that the time can't be changed now as Claire and the governor are already waiting for your arrival. I only ask that you be patient and settle with changing your clothes for now."

"But if this meeting's entirely about greetings and security, then surly Souffle alone is enough to go. I'll be there in time for my meeting with the governor for luncheon so it shouldn't be that much of a problem, or would that not work?"

"I don't mind, but is that okay with you Matthew?" Souffle would ask, the Slayer nodding in response.

"Since you're her manager, I see no problem with you handling the affairs of security alone. We'll settle the meeting with Claire after so that Ms. Kirishima can freshen up."

"Hooray!" Sakura cheered with a happy voice, moving next to Artorian and take ahold of Artorian's arm. "Okay then Artorian. Let's go to the hotel, just the two of us."

"Remember that her safety is the top of your concerns." Matthew reminded at the sight of the two. "Any of her requests must be met, and above else you are to spare no expense to guarantee that she makes it to the meeting on time. Understood."

"Yeah, yeah, make sure Sakura gets her check list completed and all that." He said off handedly before putting on a fake smile, looking down to the pinkette who stood significantly shorter to him, possibly around if not just a little taller than Emilia. "You don't need to worry, I'll be sure everything is handled."

* * *

"Remember, you have thirty minutes before you need to head out." Souffle said to Sakura, the girl standing on the curb next to the hotel next to her luggage while Artorian walked around to the trunk.

"Don't worry, we'll be there on time." She promised, waving her worries away before looking to Artorian. "So then Artorian, shall we… go… to…" Sakura's words slowly died down as the boy mentioned reached into the trunk and pulled out his greatsword, resting it on his shoulder as he closed the back.

"Alright, we're good. Head on out." He said, smacking the back of the limo to signal them to drive off. As they were going, Artorian would walk up to Sakura, who was captivated by the sheer size of the weapon he was holding. "Everything alright? We won't want to keep the staff waiting." He smirked as he walked past her, enjoyment on him as he caught the idol off guard.

She quickly shook the shock off of her and turned to follow as he picked up her bag. The staff had an initial protest to his weapon, however as he had strict permission from Little Garden to wield his weapon outside of important pickup spots they couldn't say much before copying the key data onto the pair's PDAs.

As the important idol Sakura was, she was given the VIP suite at the top of the hotel. Artorian was keeping down over a dozen potential insults as he made sure to remain as professional as possible, although it was straining with Sakura's happy humming causing a ringing in his ears.

"Well, let's get you settled in." Artorian said, scanning his PDA over the room's sensor when they reached the top floor. The door unlocked at opened at his motion, and as he placed his PDA back into his pocket he waited for Sakura to enter to follow in.

.

.

.

 _'Oh what now?'_ He thought in annoyance as she refused to move, looking at Artorian with a raised eyebrow.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you supposed to check the room for anything before I enter?" Sakura asked, almost sounding like she was reminding a child to do their chores, which made Artorian mentally grind his teeth.

 _'That attitude makes it worse that she's right.'_ He thought before he stepped into the room, pulling out his Sonar sensor as he did.

"Are you really Artorian Abyssal?" Sakura asked, getting him to pause in his next step as she did. "The genius Slayer who saved the Zwei Islands from the Savage?" Her eyes were suspicious of Artorian, almost as if she was beginning to doubt the boy was of any caliber to fight a Savage.

That however was a more delicate line to deal with, as he showed an obviously forced smile while closing his eyes, preventing any real level of intimidation. "I am Artorian, and I was here to help the Zwei Islands when Savage attacked. I never claimed to be a genius, and you'd do well then to make a guess that I'm anyone but me."

Although he was mostly quite before turning back to investigate the room, Sakura was taken aback by the tone of his voice, noticing the repressed and contained anger in it while keeping up composure. Although it certainly wasn't a heroic attitude, it at least gave her confirmation that he was who he claimed to be.

 _'Perhaps that was a little mean.'_ She thought as the Slayer searched for any potential spyware. It was highly unlikely for anyone to mistaken her identity, but the idol could easily imagine how annoying it would be to be doubted of her capabilities. Much less if any feat she had done was in the face of multi-meter tall aliens capable of leveling cities.

After several minutes of checking on the room, nothing had come up on the Sonar. Which gave Artorian the clear to walk back to the door and motion Sakura in. "Nothing appears to be in the room, it's clear for you to enter now."

"Thank you." Sakura responded as she stepped into the room, clearing him to close the door and locking it.

"Now, finally…" Taking a relaxed breath, Sakura would turn to look at Artorian while smiling with a puff. "We are finally alone, Artorian."

 _'That either sounded rape-y or murder-y, I don't know which is better or worse in this situation.'_ The Slayer would think, his expression remaining neutral in the face of a beautiful girl.

"The truth is, I was interested when I watched the video of your battle against the big Savage." Sakura explained as she pulled her PDA out and showed the video of Artorian's fight with the Trenta.

"How did that even…?" Artorian muttered to himself, wondering how that footage was possibly taken through all that destruction.

"It was taken down from the Cybernet almost immediately, but I managed to copy the film before it was." She continued, not answering the question. "After seeing it, I formed an interest in you. I even asked Souffle to do a little investigating on you. And seeing as Little Garden was in the area, it was my plan to hold my charity live. That way, I could personally choose you to be my bodyguard."

 _'Okay… that's a bit to process.'_ Artorian admitted to himself, partially disturbed by the girl's level of interest in him from simply his feat against the Trenta.

Putting her PDA away, Sakura would smile in mischief before reaching up to hold Artorian's cheeks with both hands. "What do you think of me Artorian? Do you think I'm cute?"

 _'I want to answer as venomously as fucking possible you pink-dyed fake.'_ He thought in annoyance, but kept it down as he answered simply.

"Sure." True, he couldn't say that she wasn't cute by any standards. But the level of pink was more than an annoyance for him, adding in her status as an idol and one that he saw as nothing more than a lip-synch.

"Then, why don't you go out with me?" She'd continue to ask, releasing his cheeks and stepping away. "I'd like to go out with you with the premise of marriage."

"Okay, that's a little far." Artorian responded, giving her a half lidded stare. "We have known each other for roughly thirty minutes. Besides, I don't even think you're even old enough to legally marry."

"You're from Yamato, you know that in our home country that when we turn sixteen that we're officially legal to marry. And with the constant risk of population due to the Savage attacks, it's recommended in every country to have a lot of children with an early marriage for the future of mankind."

"Okay you aren't inaccurate with your point, but there's other things to be taking into consideration." True to her word, Artorian was more than aware of the fact that humanity has a constant need for families to form, with as many kids as possible to provide a steady population for the future. That however wasn't much of a point to go off of considering his unique condition and situation. Not to mention he still had Karen to worry about, a family was the last thing he needed to worry about right now.

"The worldwide popular diva Oriental Wizard: Sakura Kirishima and the young up and coming Artorian who challenged and defeated a Trenta Savage single-handedly. I'd say that it can be interpreted that we are a good match."

 _'Oh, a PR sounding stunt, or she's trying to be a tease.'_ Artorian concluded, not figuring the likes of a star idol like Sakura would ever desire to sacrifice her career for a family. It made more sense than a genuine relation, which brought a smirk to his face.

"You don't have to be humble. You are very attractive." Sakura stated, taking his silence as a sign of hesitation.

"Oh I by no means think differently." Artorian would respond, surprising her as he leaned down to have them face-to-face. Gently gripping her chin between his fingers, he'd keep her attention on him as his smirk remained. "I was just taking a second to imagine you on the bed, and the faces you'd make."

At the sound of his not-so-subtle comments, the idol's face would fluster, her cheeks turning bright as his face was only inches away from hers. And with his hold on her chin she wouldn't be able to turn away, something that was obviously making him smirk more.

"I can also certainly see from your side of things, a young and maturing princess wanting her noble knight to sweep her off her feet into a life of passion and thrill seeking." He'd continue on, seeing just how far he could go with this as her blushing grew more. "It's taxing, isn't it?"

"W-W-What is?" Sakura asked, unable to think of what else to do as she saw his smirk turn subtler. The short time they spent before had not prepared her for this, the basic and confined attitude he had shown for their trip here was a complete 180 from what he was now, and she couldn't understand how he could suddenly act this way in response to her teasing.

"Keeping an appearance for a crowd." He said. "To keep yourself appearing so honest, so pure for everyone that you push things down to keep hidden. You're at least sixteen, if your idea of marriage is to signal anything. Which means you're around that age where urges start to come up." He would then lean forward more, allowing him to whisper into her ear. "You don't need to worry, I'm sure I can do my part to situate those urges."

He then leaned back a bit, keeping their faces close enough so that their lips were nearly hovering over the other. "But… I'm nothing if not a gentleman. I couldn't imagine solidifying a marriage with a young woman before allowing her to experience her first kiss. If that's what you truly wish that is."

"Wa-Wait a moment!" Sakura eventually managed to gain some level of control, stepping back from him and freeing herself from his gentle grip on her, her face tinted pink from the embarrassment of having him so close to kissing her, not to mention everything he said! "That… that sort of thing, I still need to prepare my heart!"

"I... it seems I have teased you for long enough, I have to go and freshen up before the meeting!" She'd say, attempting some level of control as she stepped past him. "I'm going to take a bath!"

"Want me to join you?" The Slayer would chuckle as she stopped, her whole body shaking in further embarrassment before stepping into the bathroom, her composure breaking as she moved to slam the door shut, pressing her back against it as she looked down in utter embarrassment.

 _'Wh-What was that!?'_

"Don't play with fire if you can't handle getting burned." Artorian grinned as he turned away, walking over to one of the massive suite's couches and sitting down, resting his sword against the sofa to rest. "I figure that should scare her into taking a nice long bath, so I should have the rest of the time here to myself."

At the moment of his comment, Artorian's PDA beeped as he received a message. Sighing, he reached into his pocket and pulled it out, shifting to lie on the couch as he saw that the message was from Charlotte.

 _ **Liddy has woken up; I had Mei-Mei watching over her after you called last night to keep an eye on her. Apparently her limbs were extremely weak, as she collapsed the moment she attempted to get out of bed. Followed by signs of serious sensitivity to light. You gave her the medicine I think you did, correct? ~Charlotte**_

Sighing in disappointment, Artorian's grin turned to a somber frown as he typed on the screen, sending a message to the doctor as he put together what was happening. And what he would have to deal with when he got back.

 _ **Yeah, the exact stuff you gave me on the off chance something like this happened. Please tell me that you have the equipment to treat her. ~Artorian**_

 _ **Of course I do, I'll just have to go over procedures and run a few blood tests before I begin. Plus, I feel you and Matthew should be here beforehand, give her the options your father gave the others back then. She'll likely be assigned back with Claire since I won't be able to keep her here for long. So you'll need to get her when you're able to. ~Charlotte**_

"Well, that's a mood killer." Artorian groaned, placing his PDA on the table as he looked up to the ceiling. "It had to be from then, there's no other time it could've leaked out enough to infect someone." He spoke to himself, recalling his episode after waking up from the duel against Claire. He knew Liddy was there, and put together that had to be when it happened. And while he was forced to remain by Sakura's side, he could do nothing but think to himself, looking up to the ceiling as the idol prepared to take her bath.

* * *

"Hmhmhmmhhmmmmm…" A few minutes go by before Artorian was looking over his shoulder, grumbling as he heard Sakura's humming, signaling she was in the bath and once again enjoying the sound of her own hums. It made him wince once more as the ringing in his ear returned, starting to now become a hindrance with the amount of times she does this.

 _'If she keeps doing this, my head is going to split open.'_ He grunted, hating have to endure several headaches in the past hour. _'I get you don't write or sing your own music, but you should at least try to be capable of singing!'_

"Artorian, are you able to grab my PDA?" Sakura would ask, getting his attention as she stopped her humming. "I hit up a good melody and phrase so I want to record them. It should be on the shelf by the entrance, I think." By the sound of it, her fluster was gone, and the girl was back to the way she normally acted.

 _'She thinks…'_ He rolled his eyes, standing up as he walked over to the door, finding the PDA right where she said it was. Thanking internally that she had some level of memory, the Slayer would then move to the bathroom, opening the door to see the washroom.

Not wasting time on taking in the room he's already checked, he opened the next door to open where the bath and shower were, the pinkette relaxing in the hot water of her bath as a good amount of steam was in the room.

 _'You've got to be fucking me.'_ He would think as he saw her hair in the water was still the same obnoxious color it's been. _'How strong is that stuff she's got on her? This is getting ridiculous for her to keep up this damn pink-ageddon look of hers.'_

"Here." He said as he placed the PDA on the small table next to the bathtub, Sakura opening a single eye to give him an appreciative smile.

"Thank you Artorian." She got little more than a nod in response, the boy simply wishing to get out before he was roped into another unwanted conversation.

As he stepped out though, he took a second to have a subtle look at the idol's body, giving a single approved hum as he stepped out, confusing her as she turned at the last second of his exit.

 _'Damn, I might have given her a bad rep on her before hand.'_ He thought to himself, closing the door to give them separation. _'Not quite as mature as Claire, but probably around the same overall development as Emilia. Without all that pink you'd probably be a 8.7/10.'_

Chuckling at his own thoughts, he would take a single step before feeling his foot slid a bit. He was perfectly capable of keeping his balance, but looking down to see the shift had made his sigh in a mix of annoyance and nostalgia.

On the floor were all of the idol's clothes, recklessly thrown aside as she had prepared herself to take her bath. It was something that all kids did, but his memories went back to his and Karen's early days after the Second Attack that gave him a bittersweet smile.

Working more on instinct than obligation, Artorian started to pick up each individual piece of clothes and fold it, placing them on the shelf in the washroom to prevent any potential mishaps. Although as he put her hot pants away, he saw that the only article on the floor were a pair of panties, and upon inspection of them he closed his eyes in disappointment.

 _'She is a fucking child.'_ He thought, the bear design printed on the underwear making him just feel embarrassed for the idol before setting it up with the rest of her clothes.

He would remain out on the couch for the minutes after until he heard Sakura using her hairdryer, finishing up her time before walking out. Looking back to her, Artorian saw that the idol had changed into a frilly dress, a bit more modest than her prior attire and giving her much of a fair lady… excluding the giant stuffed bear in her arms, which caused the boy to cringe inward.

She would set it on the couch across from him, turning to face Hayato with a smile. "Say Artorian, what do you think about this outfit?" She'd ask, lifting the hem of her skirt while taking a pose.

"I mean, it's a good dress I guess?" He humored her, although quite honestly he wasn't the ideal choice for a fashion opinion. Excluding the fact he wasn't a big fan of the idol, he just didn't have a sense of fashion based on his casual clothes.

"Hmm… that answer's worth 50 points. No, I think 30's a better number."

 _'I ain't looking for your approval anyways!'_

"And that's only because you said the dress looked good. You lost points for taking a peak on me while walking out."

"Huh, you saw that." Artorian chuckled, tipping his head a bit while smirking. "I'll give ya credit, you're more observant then I thought. Good on you."

"That gives you 5 points."

 _'I really don't care.'_

"Well, we've spent up our time here, we should get you to the meeting with the governor soon." Artorian would say, picking up his greatsword and standing up.

"Yes I suppose, and afterwards we'll go to the venue to check on how the construction is going." Sakura responded, smiling as she walked past Artorian. "But, we will have to talk about you're peeping on the way there. It's very rude to do that to a young woman."

 _'I can't wait…'_

* * *

"Well, I'm impressed." Artorian commented as he stood outside the venue dress room.

The luncheon meeting had gone as expected, not much of anything happening other than the Slayer acting like a butler once the idol was able to actually sit down and eat. He wasn't one for giving credit to standing around, but he had to admit that to stand for over an hour talking to people who were complete strangers or random benefactors would be a challenge for him. So he was willing to at least give her a somewhat easier time during, keeping his mental back sass down as he worked.

And after that was done, the pair was driven to the venue where Sakura's live performance would be taking place. For the most part it was simply to meet up with Souffle and check on the progress of the construction. But according to the idol, there was something that she wished to show him, leading him to remain guard outside of her changing room.

"About what?" Sakura asked, being able to hear him while she changed, the sound of her throwing her clothes around being picked up by his enhanced hearing.

"The progress done here already. I'm not a big nut on construction, but this was surprisingly fast, built in under a week." He shrugged. "Seems a lot of people are eager to please the Oriental Wizard Sakura Kirishima, huh?"

"Maybe, but I'm just grateful that the work they've done means the show can go on schedule. I can sing my songs to everyone, as a thanks for having me and to ease the pain from the Savage attack they suffered through."

Although he didn't respond, the Slayer did roll his eyes at the implication that she was doing this solely for the fans and survivors. Although he's seen a few differences on the idol than what he was expecting, it wasn't quite far off on his overall vision of her.

It wasn't until a few minutes passed that the idol eventually walked out, getting the boy to sigh as he looked to her. "So you're finally done changing? What took you so long to-!" His eyes would widen in realization as he saw her attire, a skintight pink variable suit that covered her entire body. It was obviously customized, as the only other versions he's seen were combat based to offer full maneuverability.

"Thank you for waiting." Sakura would say, looking up to the Slayer before noticing his stare. "Is there something wrong?"

"N-Nothing." He'd shake his head, wondering where the pause came from before recollecting himself. "I'm just a little surprised is all. I was expecting that usual getup you wear for your videos, not a variable suit."

 _'Gods the color's still annoying, but this is a much better look.'_ He'd think as he looked the girl up and down, getting an unobstructed view of her figure in comparison to when she was in the bath. Once more he could say that while she may not have acted like it, her body certainly showed that she was matured to an extent. _'Thank you variable suits for complementing bodies so well.'_

"Ah, so you noticed." She'd say before giving a small twirl, winking to him with a playful smile. "So what about this outfit, any thoughts?"

"Too pink, but certainly a good look." He responded, smirking as the two began to walk to the stage.

"60 points."

 _'Whatever.'_

When they finally reached the stage, Sakura would run out to the center while Souffle approached the Slayer from the side, standing next to him as the idol smiled bright.

"Watch closely Artorian. I'll show you that this stage is my battlefield!" She declared, raising her fist into the air. In her hand was a green ore surrounded by a reddish-brown bracket, his eyes widening in realization.

 _'A Hundred… that would explain the variable suit.'_

"Hundred On!" Shouting with enthusiasm, Sakura threw the variable stone high into the air, green light erupting from it before moving down to surround the idol. As the Hundred began to take shape in the form of four fairy-like wings, her variable was reacting to the device as well. By the time the light died down, the idol was standing with the energy wings coming out of her back, now dressed in a white and pink shrine maiden getup.

"This is my Hundred, Fairy-Fairy Tale." Sakura announced, turning to the boy to show her smile before she ran to jump off the stage. As the Slayer was about to move to stop her, he stared in surprise as her wings spread and the idol took flight, leaving a trail of glittering energy as she moved in the sky.

Artorian was actually taken aback by the action of flying, only ever seeing it done by the likes of Claire and Emilia with the assistance of thrusters attached to their Hundreds. But for Sakura's, it was completely calm, controlled and regulated. He was only picking up the basics of sensing energy, but he could feel the miniscule amount she was using to keep herself in the air.

"Whoa…" Despite his attitude towards the idol, even he couldn't help but state his amazement, only imagining the possibility of flying in such a way. The peaceful form of the Hundred felt completely foreign to him, the new sight being a once in a lifetime discovery to him.

"Well, that's certainly a look I never expected to see on you." Hearing the new voice, Artorian's attention was turned to Charlotte as she walked towards the pair alongside Mei Mei.

"Charlotte? Mei Mei? What are you doing out here?" The Slayer asked, confused at the two's appearance.

"Hi Artorian, it's been awhile!" Mei Mei would cheer, smiling bright as she waved to the boy.

"Yeah, I guess." He waved back, although focusing more on Charlotte. "So, what's your reason for being here?"

"Well, I suppose there's a few reasons." Charlotte would say, removing her lollipop from her mouth to give a smile to Souffle. "I wanted to see the variable stone in use. But I also wanted to see an old friend and see how Sakura was developing."

"It's been a few years now, hasn't it Charlotte." Souffle would respond, giving her own smile as the two shook hands.

"I see that Sakura's appearing healthy. I'm glad she's been able to grow safely since the last time I saw her."

"Whoa, whoa, hold up." Artorian spoke up. "You two know each other? How?"

"We used to work together in the early development stages of both generations of Slayers." Charlotte explained. "Souffle was by both your father's and my sides when the first generation was made. And she helped with research on the Hundred for a few years before retiring from the science field."

"Retire? If you and Charlotte are around the same age, you should have had plenty of time after the Hundred was made. Why retire that young?"

"…Sakura was involved in an incident a few years ago." Souffle would say, although hesitantly. Looking to Charlotte though, the shorter of the two gave a confirming nod to let her know it was clear for him to know, encouraging her to speak more. "She was on the verge of death, it was Charlotte that managed to save her in the final hours of operation."

"The experiments that happened to her, they made her into something similar as you discovered recently." Charlotte added in.

 _'She's a Variant?'_

"So she's…" Artorian slowly spoke, looking up to the idol to watch her fly.

"She isn't quite like you. Aside from being an artificial variation, she has zero combat capabilities." The doctor detailed. "Her Hundred is a field type, not meant for combat but to support others with surveillance and even illusions if she's close. Her whole ability of flight comes from her expert control of energy, using barriers and fields to produce an atmosphere where she can maneuver in any way she wants.

"So she became an idol because she can use this? With a unique ability like flight?"

"No, Sakura loved to sing long before she could use a Hundred." Souffle stated, confusing Artorian at the subtle hostile tone. "During the Second Attack, Sakura lost her mother to the Savage. She sings her songs in memory of her deceased family for everyone that still lives. She wants to give them that momentary happiness in a painful world filled with death and destruction. But above all else, she wants to heal the children who have suffered and lost because of the Savage just like her."

 _'She lost her… damn it…'_ Artorian thought as he looked to the idol in a new light, his eyes somber while she continued to smile and laugh in enjoyment. She was from Yamato just like him, which meant that she must've lost her mother on the same day the Kisaragis died, when he saw Hayato die, and when he lost his own father.

It was certainly a reason to rethink some of his notions on her, perhaps her personality is shaped entirely to avoid thinking back on the pain she suffered as child. Or maybe she does it to keep others smiling and prevent them from feeling how she felt when she lost everything. It wasn't enough to completely change his views on her, but perhaps there were a few cracks in how he perceived the idol as a person. It was far from the full story, he could tell the two were holding back a lot; but it was enough to have him better understand Sakura, if even by a little bit.

"So, what do you think of my flying?" Sakura would ask as she landed, moving to wrap her arms around his free arm while smiling brightly.

"Honestly… it was completely unexpected." He spoke, returning the smile with a genuine smile. "I never expected to see such a Hundred, and in the hands of an idol like you… it was a sight to behold."

Sakura's smile brightened more as she released him, stepping back while placing her hands on her hips. "And that gets you 90 points."

 _'Still a little annoying, but I can handle that.'_ He chuckled, letting the smile remain while regarding her.

"We're thankful for your services here today, as of now you're relieved of your duty for the day." Souffle would say, stepping up to the two as her PDA was receiving data.

"Wait, already?" Artorian would ask, looking at his own device to see that it was only around three in the afternoon.

"We'll have security comprised of Slayers from Warslran protecting us back at the hotel, along with that you were brought out far earlier than needed. You've done more than you're part in safeguarding Sakura and I'm thankful for that."

"Aw, but I wanted to spend more time with Artorian." Sakura pouted, puffing a bit at the early send off. "Well, I suppose I can show you where I wanted to go tomorrow."

"Actually Sakura, you'll be busy working on your latest album for next month." Souffle reported, getting a surprised squeak from the idol. "You're a week behind and the publishers would like it within the next two days. So I'm expecting you to work on it until you're done. If the progress you gave me is right, you'll be done by noon."

"B-But I… awwhhh…" Sakura would whine, her shoulders slumping as her wings folded down as well.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now Sakura." Artorian would say, stepping forward to offer the idol a handshake to which she returned. "It's been an… experience. If there's time and I'm free, maybe I'd be willing to check the place out that you wanted to."

Sakura's smile returned, looking up to the Slayer with a gleam in her eyes as she did. "That'll be great! Also, 60 points." She added with a mischievous smile.

"Don't push it." He stated, the two giving their own smiles at the small joke. As Sakura and Souffle were about to head out, Artorian's eyes widened in realization and he started to search his pockets. "Wait! Hold on a second!"

"Hmm?"

"I forgot to ask the entire day and, I had a favor I needed to ask before I-FUCK where is it!?" Artorian would try to explain, only confusing the idol as he desperately searched his pockets. "I swear it was in here when I left this morning, where the hell did I put it!?"

"Looking for this?" Charlotte would ask, surprising him as she held up an unopened packet of tarot cards. "Karen's nurse came by asking if you were still available, apparently you forgot these after you visited Karen this morning."

"Yes, thank you Charlotte!" Artorian spoke as he held the cards with both hands. "I can't believe out of everything I forgot these, I owe you dinner for this!"

"Just a coffee will be good for me, no need to waste your money like that." Charlotte laughed at the amount of relief that was present on the boy's face.

"Sakura, I'm sorry this came up so late and that it's sudden but please-!" Bowing down, Artorian swallowed up whatever pride he had as he held the packet of cards out to the idol. "Would you please sign this? I told you I'm not a big fan of music, but my friend Karen loves your songs. It would mean the world to her if she got your autograph."

Sakura was initially surprised at the sudden bow of the boy, borderline begging as he held a single packet of cards. She's only known the boy for a few hours, but in that little time he was obviously the kind of person who wanted to let people in a room know he was there, and that he was nothing to look down on. From the way he handled himself in their car ride, to the sudden flirt display he gave in response to her attempt at teasing. It was also an impossible sight to imagine, seeing someone with such an imposing stature and even a massive sword near his same size bow for something as simple as an autograph, and making it sound like a problem no less.

But that only caused her to laugh, getting him to peek up while she gently grabbed the cards. "It'd be my pleasure to sign them, I'm sure Karen's a great friend to you if you'd be willing to ask for an autograph."

"The best one I've had." He spoke as he stood back up, watching as Souffle handed the pink idol a pen to sign the packet.

"There we go, to a true fan with a good friend." Sakura said, handing the cards back to Artorian, keeping his hand held around them as if afraid he'd lose them again.

"Thank you, I'm sorry that it was just completely out of nowhere and-"

"Don't be." She interrupted. "You were focusing on your job and I may… occasionally be a handful, so it's fine that you asked now. Besides, I'm always happy to do something nice for a fan."

' _It wasn't that…'_ he thought, looking down in shame as the idol and her manager started to head for the limo, Sakura giving one last smiling wave to the boy before getting in, the two driving off shortly after.

"So, feel like an ass yet?" Charlotte asked, giving a knowing smirk up to the boy as he looked down to the packet of cards.

"You knew, didn't you?"

"I think I'd know Artorias' kid well enough to know how he thinks on popular icons." She answered, elbowing his hip as she looked up to him. "Maybe you should try having a more open mind."

"Maybe… we'll see." He responded, putting the cards into his pocket and buttoning it to make sure they stayed in there. A minute would go by and his PDA vibrated, getting him to pull it out to see that it was a message from Claire.

 _ **Your report came in. Would you mind coming to my house on Little Garden for the briefing? ~Claire**_

"That was fast." He muttered, putting his PDA back into his pocket.

"Liddy's with her, so when your business with Claire's done please bring her to my lab." Charlotte would say, not needing to see whom it was to know who left the message. "I'll have Mei Mei get Matthew and we can proceed with everything."

"Right, I'll get on that." He said, knowing the day still had a ways to go before he could consider it done.

* * *

 **(A/N): You know I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting to get this one out as quickly as I did. I swore this chapter would be one of the force myself to write ones that end up killing the vibe for a bit. But after completing the last chapter I couldn't stop myself and wrote a good chunk of this over the weekend. There was a hiccup here and there, but I feel this chapter did well. My only problem is that there was too much in this by the time I got to the end that my original plan for the ending is pushed back.**

 **Oh well, at least I'll know how to start the next chapter now. Which I'll be glad to get to as I have more planned for the arcs to come, as well as changes and additions for the characters involved. But I'll save that for when I get to it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you at the next one. Peace!**


	10. Lord's Lore

"Okay, this is just overkill." Artorian sighed as he stood out of Claire's estate, staring up to the building. It wasn't the biggest house he's seen, but the size was well bigger than the dorm building him and the other Slayers were staying at. It made sense the captain of the ship would have the best residence, but to the boy he didn't understand why someone would need a place so big to live in.

Getting over that momentary pause, the Slayer would walk up to the door and knock twice. He wouldn't be waiting for longer than a minute when the door opened to reveal Chris, wearing a casual shirt and shorts.

"A-Ah, we were waiting for you Artorian." Chris stuttered initially, the memory of their first meeting still fresh in his mind and leaving him intimidated.

"Sup pint size, where's blondie?" Artorian would ask, smirking as he looked into the mansion.

"Ah, she's currently out back with Liddy and Erica." Chris responded, opening the fencing across from them with his PDA. "P-Please follow me."

"Relax brat, I don't bite." He stated as the two would walk past the fence, the door and entrance closing on their own as they did. "I only threw the fork at you because you were being a smartass. As long as you avoid bringing up personal shit, you'll be fine."

"I'm fourteen, having a utensil thrown near you that impales into a building leaves an impression."

"Please, when I was your age I got mugged. The thing didn't even graze you."

"The point still stands."

It wouldn't take more than a few seconds for the two to walk the side of the building, and when they reached the backyard Artorian saw a sight that was both a blessing and a curse. In the back was a tiled pool, roughly around 25 meters if he were to guess. There seemed to be three set lanes in the pool, one of which Liddy was currently swimming back and forth in.

 _'Physical therapy?'_ Artorian would guess, assuming that Liddy still had any physical issues from their mission. As he would place his sword against the building, he'd take the time to see the white one-piece swimsuit the girl was wearing, smirking to himself with a single chuckle. _'Damn the fact I only get these sights near water.'_

"Claire, Artorian has arrived now." Chris would announce, getting Artorian to turn to see a set of deck chairs and several umbrellas.

But it wasn't so much the chairs Artorian was focused on, rather the two that were currently resting on them. Claire and Erica both were relaxing by the poolside, with the latter reading a book while Claire rested on her front. Seeing the president and vice-president in their respective swimwear, a red two-piece bikini and a blue one-piece swimsuit, Artorian couldn't feel more than accepting of the risks to enjoy the sights.

 _'I don't care if you warned me about water and women Karen, this is a sight worth facing your predictions for.'_

After his moment of self-enjoyment, Artorian would approach the blonde president. As he stopped three feet away, Claire would turn her head to face him, still lying on her front as she would speak up.

"Thank you for your hard work Artorian, I understand we pushed the work on you suddenly this morning." She would state, her compliment genuine despite the requirement of bribery to get him to accept the job in the first place.

"Eh well… it wasn't so bad." He would say, looking down for a second in reflection over his mission. On how he learned much about the idol he once despised with a passion, and how he missed almost every mark on her.

"If you wish, I will prepare some refreshments." Chris would say, giving a bow to the president as he did.

"Yes, please do." Upon her permission, the boy headed back into the house, leaving the four Slayers out to converse. "I'm surprised at how quickly your work was finished. I was expecting you to be busy for most of the day."

"You and me both…" He'd mutter, looking over to the pool as Liddy finished her latest rep, holding onto the side of the pool to give herself a pause. "Yo Liddy! How you feeling!?" He'd call out, getting the vice-president's attention.

"A little rough around the edges, however much better than I was yesterday." Erica responded to the boy, giving him a grateful smile as she did. "Thank you for your help last night."

"Anytime, I actually need to talk to you about something later on that." He'd say, giving a small salute along with a returning smirk. "Charlotte said she'd got some data from your last physical report that she wanted to talk to you about."

"I understand, thank you for the head's up." Liddy would nod before going for her next rep, swimming for the other end of the pool once more.

"I'm not sure what you had done, but I'm grateful for you helping Liddy as well." Claire would say, getting Artorian's attention again. "I don't agree with her remaining asleep for so long, but she's the best she's been in days and it's in part thanks to you."

"Eh, it was no big deal." He shrugged. "Just helping out a fellow Slayer and all that shit."

"At least you're more of a team player than I expected."

"Hey, if half my team are going to be beautiful women I'll gladly play the part." He smirked, looking down to her as he did. Taking a quick second, he more appreciated the president's figure as she laid down on her deck chair, from her untied hair to her voluptuous breasts pressing down against the chair. "Speaking of which, not that I'm complaining; Gods I'm not, but what's with the swimsuit?"

"I'm at a pool am I not?" Claire would return the question. "Is that not the proper attire for taking the time to rest and recover after a long day of work?"

"I mean, I was talking more about the fact yours is…" He'd trail off, pointing to his back in reference to her top; something he expected would be easily picked up on.

"My, are you actually embarrassed Artorian?" Claire would smirk, seeing this as the chance to get back at the boy for his previous flirting taunts. "I wouldn't expect such a thing from you after your little stunt in our duel. Would you perhaps like a better look?" She'd then begin to get up, both Artorian and Erica jumping in surprise as she did.

"Wait do you not…"

"Claire wait! After applying your suntan lotion I hadn't-!" Erica attempted to warn, but was stunned as the president stood and took a gravure model posture.

"Eh?" She let out a confused sound as the two Slayers around her were completely silent, wondering what was the deal being made when she felt a small breeze against her chest. Looking down, she had saw that her bra was not on her, having fell onto the ground as the straps were undone earlier.

"Wow you actually didn't notice." Artorian muttered in half amazement at the lack of foresight from the Slayer. However as he said that, he was drinking in the sight of Claire's bare breasts, saving a mental image as he couldn't help but smirk to himself.

 _'I'm so dead for this, but it this will be a day worth dying over!'_ He thought, having one last glance at the president's tits before Claire's horrid mistake came to process in her mind fully.

"Kyaah!?" She screamed in humiliation as she moved her arms to cover her chest, crouching down with tears of shame flowing down her cheeks.

"She screamed "Kyaah!" AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Artorian was bellowing with laughter as he held his stomach, unable to contain himself after not one, but two humiliating blunders by the Slayer. "I respect the attempt at trying to beat me at my own game, but once again I come out on top!"

"Hey, what did you just do Artorian!?"

 _'SHHIIIIIIIIIT!'_

Barely getting through his thought as he heard Liddy yell at him, he turned to see that the vice-president was already out of the water, having not seen the situation and simply acting on a fight or flight. But as she reared her fist back to strike the boy with a blow he fully deserved, dark skinned Slayer slipped on a the tile, causing her fist to miss but for her to crash right into him.

Due to the slickness of the tile, Artorian was unable to support himself and the two fell to the ground in a tangle. As she nearly flipped over, Liddy was temporarily dazed; unable to process her fall while Artorian hit the back of his head on the ground.

Grunting and seething, he would close his eyes to try and grit his teeth to ignore the pain he was feeling on the back of his head. _'All jokes aside, I'm really glad I have a thick skull…'_ He'd think, thankful the fall onto his back didn't knock him out on impact.

"Okay… okay, I deserved that." He groaned as he would slowly blink his eyes open, still wincing in pain but managing to ignore most of it as he did. "You alright Lid…dy…" What he had opened his eyes to was the sight of Liddy sitting on his chest, leaning back as she was pushing herself up from her momentary stun.

"Ahhhh… that was a bad idea." She'd whine, one eye closed as she had felt a bit of pain in the back of her head despite not hitting the ground.

"Li-Liddy! What are you doing!?" Hearing the sound of Erica shout, Liddy's focus returned and she looked down, her whole body freezing in shock at her position. She had landed mostly on Artorian, sitting on his chest with her swimsuit-clad crotch nearly right in the face of Artorian.

"I-I-I, I couldn't even tell you! I didn't mean to-!"

"Not that this isn't a horrible experience for me, but could you please get off me?" Artorian would groan. "It's kinda getting hard to breath with your ass pressing down on my lungs."

"Aah!" Liddy let out a scream of embarrassment as she got up and rapidly stepped backwards, nearly going three meters away in order to get away from the downed Slayer.

"Fuee… sweet air." Artorian panted as he felt the pressure off his chest release, sitting up painfully while rubbing the back of his head. Looking around, he saw the utterly ridiculous situation that had fell before them. With him on his back, Liddy nearly shaking with a bright blush from embarrassment, and Claire crouching down and hiding her chest with Erica frantically reaching for the bra.

 _'Selections everybody… the best Little Garden has to offer.'_

"Um, what happened out here?" Chris asked as he stepped out of the house, holding a plate with several drinks while staring at the scene in confusion. He was completely unaware of what was going on, both from his age and simply not being present for the whole scenario.

"Magical things Chris." Artorian would let out a single chuckle as he laid back down, sprawling his arms and legs out as he did. "Magical, jiggly things."

"I don't understand."

"You will when you're older."

* * *

"Ahem, I'm sorry for everything going off as bad as it did." Claire would cough into her hand, a blush still clear on her face as she sat on the deck chair with Artorian standing back up, Liddy and Erica both by her side while Chris remained behind them.

"Don't be, I got images that I'll take to the grave." Artorian smirked, chuckling for a second before an ice cube hit him in the head and shut him up. "I deserved that too." Liddy didn't respond as she took a sip of her drink through her straw, keeping a firm stare on the boy as Claire continued.

"Besides that, there is something more outside of your mission report that I wished to hear." The blonde stated, looking up to him with a serious stare despite her small blush remaining. "According to Souffle, along with Sakura's Hundred there are dozens of new technology being used on her stage, many of which that use variable stones. However, she has recently reported that most of the stones present were stolen after the Savage attack."

"Wow, your UN buddies probably aren't happy about that." Artorian whistled. He wasn't an expert in pricing, but he knew variable stones went for a really high price. Selling one was always within UN jurisdiction, and just one could likely earn you more than the most expensive diamond.

"Be as it may, we have reasons to believe that those who stole the stones may show themselves once more. And with the most priceless and valuable of the ones remaining on the Zwei Islands being Sakura's own Hundred, your next time guarding her will likely come with combat. And with that in mind, it would be wise to bring your own Hundred with you from now on. But should you run into trouble, you must first contact either us or anyone in Selections as soon as possible. Are we clear?"

"Crystal ma'am." Artorian mock saluted, smirking as he looked down to her. "I'll be combat ready from now on, and I'll protect the Bubblegum Maiden with my life."

"Very well, I am glad to have settled our conversation on your work. And since that's done, I would like to talk about something more private with you."

"Oh?"

Rising from her chair, Claire would stand before Artorian with a look of determination, her embarrassment gone as she narrowed her eyes and pointed to the Slayer.

"Artorian, I challenge you to a rematch!"

"Um… what?" Artorian asked, confused by the announcement. "Hold up, we agreed our rematch would come when I'm recognized as your equal, it has been almost a month since we fought, no way in hell am I accepting another half assed display."

"Of course, our battle is meant to be conducted when you wish to clash as equals rather than opponents. However that is not what I had in mind." Claire explained, getting a raised eyebrow from the boy. "You are also still on active duty, I wouldn't dare risk lowering your energy while on assignment. What I have in mind is much more simple."

After her words, the president would walk towards the pool, stepping onto the dive board before looking back to him. "I would like to challenge you to a swimming match." She would then jump into the water, rising over the surface with a confident smile on her face. "So, what do you say Artorian?"

"As much as I'd love to extend this lovely show with three women in their swimsuits, I'm gonna have to decline that challenge." Artorian would respond, everyone present surprised at the turn down.

"Wait, you're not interested in competing?" Erica asked.

"Oh no I'd love to see how well I stack up against Claire aside from Hundred combat. Unfortunately you chose the one kind of competition I physically am incapable of doing."

"Wait, are you saying that you can't…"

"Yep, I can't swim. Never learned how to." Artorian admitted, shrugging his shoulders as he did. "Dad promised to teach me, he got busy a lot and I was left with the Kisaragis. And I refused to take lessons from anyone but him growing up. I think you know where the rest of this story goes."

"Wait but… what about after the Second Attack? You didn't learn after?" Claire asked, completely caught off guard by the boy's admission to his inability to swim.

"I had to focus on Karen, she was all I had left and I refused to let her down ever. So I worked and trained, paid for all the bills I could with my inheritance and scrounged up whatever extra cash I could. No time to swim then."

"The one chance I had…" Although she whispered it, Artorian heard Claire whisper under her breath, pouting as she slumped her shoulders.

 _'Ugh, this girl.'_ He thought as he rubbed his head.

"Hey look, I can't accept the challenge today. Learning to swim feels like a shit thing to do especially after our little incident." Although he would've loved to joke more on it to get to the girls, he spared them from it on the grounds that Chris was present. He swore like a sailor, but he wouldn't be so bad as to put those kinds of images or thoughts into a fourteen-year-old kid.

"So how about this: When there seems to be a good day for the both of us, you can teach me how to swim. And after I get the hang of it enough, we'll have our little race. Sound fair?"

"Very well." She would nod, smiling again as she looked up at him in determination. "You best not break that promise, it would look bad on your reputation."

"Hehe, don't you worry your pretty little head Claire. I keep my promises, every one of them." He then looked to Liddy, motioning her to follow with his shoulder. "And if there's nothing else I'm need for here, we're going to need to head to Charlotte's lab."

"Right now? Wouldn't you want a break after your day of work?" Chris would ask, the drink prepared for Artorian sitting on one of the tables as the Slayer hadn't touched it.

"My day isn't over yet, still got two things left on it before I can." Artorian smirked, looking down to the boy. "But thanks for the thought, means a lot ya squirt."

"Very well, if I must go." Liddy would say, putting her drink down as she started to walk for the house. "I'll be back out in a few minutes."

"I mean, you could just go like that." He chuckled. "I certainly wouldn't complain." He was then hit in the head by another ice cube, silencing him immediately. "Fine, be the buzz kill, see if I care."

He then walked over to his sword, pausing to look down at his reflection in the blade. Picking it up, he'd stare as he saw his figure turn into a shadowy mass, bright red eyes appearing in the misty body before swiping the weapon up onto his shoulder.

 _'There's still time, nothing to worry about.'_

* * *

"So… how did you sleep?" Artorian would ask, he and Liddy in uniform while the elevator was moving down to Charlotte's lab.

"Fine, woke up weak but no complications." Liddy responded simply, the air in the room awkward given the pool incident being fresh in the girl's mind.

"Any nightmares?"

"None, I didn't even have a dream."

"Ah, good. Good."

.

.

.

"Oh for Gods, it wasn't that big of a deal." Artorian couldn't take the silence, looking over to Liddy. "So what you landed on me and I got a close up, it's not exactly like anything happened from it. Hell, it's much more tame then what happened to Claire."

"Not all of us are able to brush such situations off easily Artorian." Liddy said, closing her eyes in embarrassed anger, her blush returning. "For me to land in such a position is beyond disgraceful, and with a boy such as yourself no less!"

"Ouch, position read." Artorian winced, looking away. "Could've just said ya didn't like me, would've understood that a lot better."

"Wait, I didn't mean it like-that's not what I... I cannot allow myself to be in such positions in public!" Liddy suddenly got defensive, getting Artorian to lean a bit away as she pointed to him. "Not only were we out in the open, but in the presence of both Claire and Erica, with Chris having just missed what had happened. As vice-president, positions like that are beyond what I should be caught in by others." She then looked away, crossing her arms under her bust as she did. "I did not mean to insult you as a person, just that I cannot stand being in such a humiliating position."

"Oh, so you do like me." He smirked, snickering as he saw her whole body shake.

"I did not say that!"

"You certainly didn't say you didn't!"

"I swear if I had my Hundred with me I would-!"

"Would what, Liddy?" The two paused as the door opened, revealing Charlotte's lab with the doctor facing the two from her chair in front of her monitors.

"…Nothing, Dr. Dimandias." Liddy responded, looking away from Artorian as the two stepped out of the elevator. "You wished to see me?"

"Yes well, more required to see you than wish. If it were my wishes, we wouldn't have to have such a serious discussion." Charlotte stated, standing up from her chair and walking to the door to her side. "Would you two please follow me? Matthew waiting for us in my main laboratory."

"Matthew's here too?" Liddy questioned, looking to Artorian who simply nodded, the two following Charlotte as they walked down a stainless hospital white hall. "This room's so bright." She'd comment, shielding her eyes with a hand while Artorian winced in agreement.

"Down here requires a surplus of power, LiZa tries to balance it the best she can but a few extra charges go to this hallway for procedures." Charlotte lied, the hall almost completely dark for her in comparison to Liddy and Artorian. "It should balance out when we get to my examination center."

The trio would walk past over a dozen rooms that were sealed and torched shut, almost like to keep something in before ending at a final room. When Charlotte opened it, the two Slayers felt their eyes be relieved of the bright light as they stepped in.

However while the other two simply walked in, Liddy paused at the door at seeing the entire room. It was a large center, appearing to almost be the size of Little Garden's command center with a set of stairs going down to the ground floor. Down there she saw what appeared to be several operating tables, a cold shiver going down her back as she saw some strange black liquid stained on the sides.

"Oi, Liddy." Artorian called up to her from the stairs, seeing she hadn't followed. "What are you waiting for?"

"This… this is… what is this?" Liddy asked in return, looking down to her fellow Slayer. "What are you two planning on…"

"Liddy, I know what you're thinking. I'm telling you now, don't listen to that feeling in your back, that cold shiver that wants you to be cautious. It's playing a trick on you, this place is perfectly safe. Ignore that instinct telling you anything else."

"How would you know what I'm thinking?"

"I know what you're thinking because it's what I'm thinking." He admitted, looking to the operating tables, his own chill flowing through him at the sight of the black liquid. "It's a natural instinct, but one that you don't need to listen to right now. Just come down and we can explain everything."

Liddy remained silent as she looked down to Artorian, the boy looking back up to her with an understanding glance. She couldn't tell why, but her body was fighting against her own better judgment. She knew that neither the scientist or Slayer would attempt anything to hurt her, but she refused to move from her spot. Like it refused to let her even consider moving down the stairs.

"Start walking, now." Liddy's body froze as she heard Matthew's voice behind her, the boy holding his hand just behind her neck as lightning crackled around his fingers.

"M-Matthew, what are you-?"

"I won't repeat myself." He interrupted, the sparks around his hand growing as he narrowed his eyes. "If you don't move down those stairs, I will take that as a sign that It is trying to escape. And despite our past, I will uphold my duty to the letter."

 _'It? What is he talking about?'_

"Matthew, back away from her!" Artorian shouted up to the two, his gaze turning to a glare. "She doesn't know yet, you can't force a Vessel to operate against their instincts, she has to come down on her own."

"She'll go whether she wants to or not." He responded.

"Now, now boys. Let's not make this situation any worse by increasing the tension." Charlotte would say, stepping past Artorian to look up to Liddy. "Liddy, I know you have many questions, that you're confused on everything that's going on. Everything will be alright, you just need to come down here and we can show you everything."

"I… I…" Liddy's body felt stiff as she looked down, the Slayer's mind running rapid as she couldn't wrap her head around what was going on. A mixture of Matthew's threatening position and Artorian's refusal to give a direct answer had her second-guessing everything. But as she looked to the doctor, she saw the small woman smile, and in that a faint feeling of calmness slowly spread through her, allowing her to fight against her body and step towards the first step. "I… I'll come. Just give me a minute."

"How'd you know that'd work?" Artorian asked, whispering to Charlotte as Liddy walked down with Matthew close behind her.

"Even if you were born with it, the Abyss in you has traces of your father's strain. It recognizes when an entity is something it can familiarize with and lowers its defenses down slightly." She explained. "You and any Vessel will trust me, if at least enough to hear me out."

"...Wish he left that in his notes."

"Okay, I'm here." Liddy would say cautiously, stepping away from the stairs. "Can someone please explain what is going on here?"

"He will, it's his responsibility after all." Matthew said, pointing to Artorian from over her shoulder. It was at this chance Liddy saw that Matthew didn't have his Hundred active, surprising her as she assumed his lightning came from his energy unlocked from the variable stones.

"You can leave her alone, she won't do anything." Artorian said, keeping his eyes on Liddy as he attempted to remain reassuring.

"I'll stay where I am, I'm following procedure unlike you."

"Fine, be an ass." He sighed, taking a step towards Liddy as he began to speak. "Liddy, do you know of the kingdom of Lordran?"

"Of course, it's a large country in the middle of the pacific ocean." Liddy answered. "They were one of the latest to join the UN, but aside from their representative I can't admit I know much of the people."

"Well, there's a lot more to it than that." Artorian would say, trying to find the right words for what he was going to be explaining. "The natives of Lordran, Lords, have been around since the very beginning of humanity. They've lived in a society fully completed and advanced when humanity was still throwing stones and spears over 15,000 years ago."

"It's put to question, but an accepted truth on the origin of the Lords is that we were born from the First Flame: a powerful fire that sparked to life and granted untold power to the husks of creatures that rose from the ground in response to it's ignition. And as soon as we were crafted from the Flame, we were faced against an overwhelming enemy, one that still plagues us to this day."

"The Savage…" Liddy whispered, her eyes widening in realization at the idea. "Hold up, what you mean to say is-!"

"The Savage did not invade this planet for the first time during the First Attack." Artorian finished, his gaze turning serious as he did. "They have been a threat to this world for much longer, possibly even before when the Lords were created. They were all over, the sky full of countless Savage far more fearsome than what humanity has seen."

"Humans had seen the Savage before, but no record or proof of what they were could be noted." Charlotte mentioned, taking her lollipop out and throwing it into a trash bin. "However, the creatures' forms are documented in old cave paintings. As a matter of fact, the concept of dragons in fantasy is entirely based off the original Savage. Such an impact left that we recognize and associate the Savage with the ideas of power, might and destruction without even realizing it."

"The Lords fought for over three centuries against the Savage, every day losing more and more against their collective power. They were simply too strong for us to handle on our own. Until one day, a Lord rose above that of those that came before. The God of Sunlight: Lord Gwyn." Artorian picked up from Charlotte.

"Gwyn through power gifted to him by the First Flame, discovered the power to wield and control lightning. Upon his discovery, other Lords slowly rose with the gift, and with the power they once again challenged the Savage in a bloody and violent war. It lasted for half a millennium, but with their newly discovered powers the Lords brought death and ruin to the Savage, the lightning destroying the outer layer of them while their soldiers rushed for the cores."

"After the last Dragon Savage was killed, the Lords built several kingdoms across the world. They were the dominant rulers; the world would bend to their whim as they were the Flames chosen. Those of Lordran built their kingdom over where the First Flame burned, creating a kiln to harness its power and protect it from future threats."

"The Savage would invade, however with the original battle over the Lords created a faction of their most elite warriors. They would be known as Dragon Slayers, with a legendary warrior leading them for thousands of years before vanishing without a trace."

"For the next thousand years, the Lords experienced true peace, the Dragon Slayers wiping out the Savage efficiently and preventing any massive scale invasion. But then… it showed up." The tone of the room then took a sudden shift, as a cold presence filled from around Artorian.

"First it was the kingdom of Telok, it was just like any other day and the kingdom was completely wiped out without a trace. The collection of Lords that searched the area after its collapse was reportedly wiped out, not a trace of them after they went in. At that moment Lord Gwyn ordered the entire continent be sunken, and to this day it's considered to not even exist. But we know."

"At first it was thought to be a random occurrence, but then Genshalon collapsed, followed by Serun, Hentaulr and Fenral. Suddenly the Lords were being picked off like flies, and it wasn't until they were reduced to two kingdoms that they figured out what they're enemy was."

"By then, most of our people were wiped out. We were pushed back to an extent that even Gwyn himself feared the destruction of our people." Matthew stated, his hand remaining at Liddy's neck but his lightning dying down. "He was forced to swallow his pride and call upon the aid of humans, which had shown signs of development but not enough to be considered useful."

"You understand all of this sounds completely crazy, right?" Liddy asked as she looked around the room. "You mean to tell me that not only were the Savage on this world before even humanity was, but that there's some kind of super race of beings that could fight them without Hundreds?"

"Of course it sounds crazy, this whole damn world is." Artorian shrugged. "But we know that just telling you isn't enough proof. You need to see it to believe."

"Which part of this room is disposable?" Matthew asked, looking to Charlotte who pointed to one of the operation tables.

"Table 2-C."

"Understood." Taking his hand away from Liddy's neck, the girl was able to turn in time to be showed the sight of Matthew rearing his arm over his shoulder as lightning flashed across his entire body. It would continue and rage before clashing into his palm, forming a spear made entirely out of lightning. And with a single throw, the spear crashed into the table and eviscerated any trace of it, the explosion causing a small torrent of wind that forced Liddy to protect her face while everyone remained still, Charlotte using Artorian as her shield from the intensity.

Opening her eyes, Liddy stared in utter shock as the lightning slowly died off around Matthew, the boy now fully visible to her. There was not only no Hundred, but even his variable suit wasn't on, revealing to her he had preformed the feat with zero energy from the devices.

"I am the son of Ornstein Ornisium, a Dragon Slayer and former member of the strongest Lords in Lordran: the Knights of Gwyn." Matthew responded to her shocked and horrified expression, the glint in Matthew's eyes promising destruction in the second she saw it.

"S-So you two are… you're both…" Liddy tried to say, her whole perception taking a hit and causing her to fall over. Before she hit the ground though, Artorian moved down and caught her, keeping her up and lifting her back onto her feet. "So everything you said is… is it actually…?"

"There's a few areas with little information, but I can confirm most of it is true." Artorian said calmly, seeing Liddy's eyes widen in horror at the revelations put on her.

"The Savage have been here for… they were here before even we were…" As she looked down in horror, she'd reach up to grip Artorian's sleeves while her body shook. "Over 30,000 years, and we're still fighting them."

"I know this is a lot to take in Liddy, but you have to remain focused." Artorian would say, lifting his hands onto her shoulders and forcing her to stand straight, looking up to him. "The Savage are relentless, but they are not invincible. Every time the Lords fought them back, they disappeared for centuries. The world was able to recover before, and they won't destroy us now."

"How do you… how do you know that?"

"Because humanity wasn't at the crux of their potential." Artorian answered. "The Lords were blind and foolish, raising humanity up to be nothing more than slave knights, used as cannon fodder. But recently, there were Lords that saw the potential in you, in every human. And we're lucky that they were able to pass the torch before it was too late."

"Artorian and Matthew aren't full blooded Lords." Charlotte said, appearing understanding to Liddy's situation as she did. "Artorias and Ornstein were the only Lords in Lordran that saw us as a solution; that we had an answer to the Savage that they could never find."

"How do you know that we could do that?" Liddy asked. "They fought for thousands of years and couldn't win, what chance do we have?"

"I'll admit, at first I didn't. But I knew Artorias and Ornstein, they wouldn't make a claim that we could do it if they didn't truly believe it." Charlotte stated, closing her eyes as she smiled. "And I can confirm that they were right, no matter how strong the Lords are now we are capable of surpassing them. In Little Garden, Claire is the living example of that."

"Claire…?"

"Claire's stronger than both Artorian and I, that isn't something imagined to be possible period." Matthew stated, crossing his arms as Liddy looked back to him. "Humans have crossed a threshold Lords would say is impossible, with strength in mind and soul we couldn't possibly achieve."

"So you think there's… a chance?"

"I know there is." Artorian stated, releasing Liddy to allow her to stand on her own. "We're different, even if it takes a decade or 10,000 years we can defeat the Savage for good. But to do that we can't lose our heads." He then smiled as he tapped his knuckle on the side of Liddy's head. "YOU can't go and lose your head. You've become a very important piece in this world now, one of the few humans that know more about the Lords."

"…Why tell me?" Liddy asked. "Does the United Nations know? Does Claire know? Who else know about this?"

"Only a select few humans know what the Lords really are." Charlotte said. "Aside from a few world leaders, Granald Gudenberg and Serivia Notredame Paul III, Bill and Judal Harvey, and myself. Aside from us, there are very few that know the full truth."

"But why tell me?" Liddy questioned, looking up to Artorian. "Why not Claire, she could be a much better asset in this whole battle. You said it yourself, she's the proof humanity can fight at the level of Lords."

"…Because you have to be involved now, for your life's sake." Artorian answered, his stare softening as he did. "Liddy, it's my fault your in this situation but it can be fixed. I promise you that what could happen doesn't have to."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Liddy took a step back, cautious from Artorian's statement.

"You remember I told you how a new enemy nearly wiped the Lords out, correct?" Artorian asked. "The two last kingdoms, Drangleic and Lordran, were on the verge of a potential collapse. So in a last ditch effort in order to combat what was happening, sent their best warriors in order to fight it in the last kingdom that fell. 10,000 warriors stepped into what would be certain death. And for most of them it was. For all except three warriors."

"Three Lords climbed out of the mountains of bodies of both their comrades and enemies alike and returned. And the news they gave, changed the way Lords saw the dark forever."

"They told of an eternal darkness, an entity that did not physically exist but could alter and affect the world around it. They called it the Abyss, reflecting on the endless void that had swallowed them in the battlefield."

"According to records, these three warriors had managed to destroy the source of the Abyss that had accumulated in the kingdom. But it had come at a cost." Matthew spoke, closing his eyes as he did. "The three were corrupted and cursed, their very souls being tainted by the Abyss. They themselves became carriers of it, and were doomed to be plagued by it for as long as they lived."

"But despite that, they were able to control it to some extent, using it against the source of the Abyss to destroy it. From those three were birthed some of the most effective Savage killers were born, unable to control lightning but with a perceived unparalleled strength. We called them Abysswalkers, Lords that tread the darkness that would force any other mad."

"Abysswalkers carry the Abyss with them forever, even their blood carries it. And upon that discovery, the three were used to create families of Abysswalkers." Charlotte added in. "It was rare for an Abysswalker to create a viable child, but those that were grew and became more powerful than some of the most elite Lords."

"Okay, and where do I fit into that?" Liddy asked.

"Among the Abysswalkers, all but one of the families has vanished. Three exist, and three still live, however we have lost track of two of them. Either they had gone mad and imprisoned themselves to prevent it from spreading… or they've gone rouge. Both that disappeared were from Drangleic, as the kingdom eventually fell from the king being deceived by a fragment of the Abyss."

"The last bloodline of Abysswalkers, the one tracked by Lordran…" Matthew spoke, pointing over to Artorian with a sharp glare. "Is present among us, the last of the Abyssal blood: those that harness the raw might the Abyss has to offer."

"You… you have it in you?"

"Surprise." Artorian joked with a dry voice, his face downcast as he did.

"And the reason I'm here is because…"

"The Abyss can infect people outside of the Abysswalkers, although it's rare and doesn't always cooperate with those it infects." Artorian stated. "Most are driven mad and commit suicide in a matter of hours, as it rips their mind apart before dispersing into nothing. But the ones that it bonds to are known as Vessels."

"Vessels in the past were often Lords, which would seal their fates to the same of an Abysswalker. But then a few decades ago Artorias had the bright idea of changing that." Charlotte explained. "He attempted to make humans into Vessels, seeing what would happen if he did. And what had resulted from it was better than expected."

"You don't mean…"

"The story that first generation Slayers were implanted with technological and chemical enhancements is a complete fabrication, made to hide the truth. What really happened was they were infected with the Abyss, willingly giving themselves for a chance to protect humanity from the Savage."

"Liddy, when you ran into my room after my fight against Claire, that black mist that was escaping from my body was the Abyss manifesting itself." Artorian stated. "You stared into the Abyss and it stared back. By all accounts, you should've gone mad and died a long time ago. All except for the account that you… became one of my Vessels."

"That… that isn't possible. I stared at it for only a second!"

"That's all the Abyss needs to taint what's around it." Matthew informed. "Your soul has been infected by Artorian's strain of the Abyss, and in a matter of a month will fully develop into a Vessel."

"You don't need to worry though, there's an alternative." Artorian promised, seeing the panic of Liddy's face return.

"You told me that Vessels are cursed with it forever, what other option would I have!?"

"It can be removed." Artorian stated. "Liddy, Lord Vessels were doomed to face the conflict inside them caused by the Abyss. But humans, you're a completely different story."

"As a human, your soul is on a completely different scale than a Lord's. The Abyss needs time to fully develop in a human and can be removed. It physically molds itself to you on the inside and can be taken out." Charlotte explained, taking her glasses off as she did. "Even after the Abyss fully develops it can be removed, however that would leave permanent damage to the body and limit functionality in a variety of different ways."

"So it… it can be removed. I don't have to become a Vessel?" Liddy asked, looking over to the doctor as she did.

"It'll be a painful procedure, while you're under the Abyss will struggle against you in an attempt to keep itself present. The medication I developed will handle the most of it, but you may be faced with many other nightmares that scale drastically in comparison to your previous ones."

"I can handle that, I won't become afflicted with such an entity. I refuse to allow myself to be anything else than human." She announced, narrowing her eyes as she did. "If humans have the potential to surpass the Lords, then I refuse to be aided by a torturous weapon they developed and use on their own people."

"Good." Matthew smirked as he closed his eyes.

"See, and you thought she'd lose herself." Artorian grinned as he chuckled. "I think if anything, she's already showing signs of increased vigor. Humanity will always manage to be a wildcard."

"Artorian, you told me that you've had struggles with nightmares." Liddy spoke up, looking over to the Slayer. "Tell me, are they because of the Abyss like my last one was?"

"Completely. I've had them ever since I was little, but aside from just being simple nightmares they didn't affect me for the longest time." He admitted. "But when I turned thirteen they became more intense. Eventually I lost a lot of sleep and sometimes just never went to bed. I've learned how to stay up for over twenty days just to avoid seeing them."

"Doing that to their own people, your leaders are monsters." Liddy said, her hands tightening into fists as she looked down. "You've dealt with this for your whole life, I can only imagine what you dream of. Of what horrors you…" She then narrowed her eyes, turning back to Charlotte. "How soon can we have it removed?"

"I can start the operation in just a few minutes." The doctor informed, going to her desk and pulling out specially designed goggles. "There's a few side effects to the removal of the Abyss in you, but none that will be life threatening."

"You'll have a few traits inherited from your Abysswalker, in this case Artorian." Matthew explained, looking to the hybrid mentioned. "According to my father, you'll likely develop heightened senses, not that of a Lord but higher than most humans. Your body also may alter and grow, perhaps two to three inches to account for your muscle fibers enhancing. That in mind you'll grow stronger and faster, albeit to what extent is in the air."

"Those are the ones that can be confirmed, you may pick up smaller ones that don't change you at all physically but nothing to the extent as the others." Charlotte finished, clapping and bringing the equipment in the laboratory to life. "You won't be nearly as powerful as you would be as a Vessel, but you'll see around a 25-50% increase in your overall combat efficiency."

"That much?" Liddy questioned, surprised at the concept.

"You're taking in small amount of my Lord DNA, of course your body will change." Artorian chuckled. "But you'll still be 100% human. My DNA is only altering your genetic code, not transforming it."

"I… see…" Liddy said, looking down to her hands as she unfurled her fists, seeing that she had dug into her palms without realizing it, blood trailing off her palm and onto the floor. "This is all still… I don't believe you would lie but for everything you just said to be real…"

"I know, a lot to take in." Artorian said, placing his hand on her shoulder in a supportive gesture. "I've only told one other person about my identity, and it was a heavy bomb for them to handle. But they trust me, and they accepted it and even embraced it."

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity, if even for me to reject what I could become with the Abyss."

"Trust me, no one is saying you're making the wrong choice. Everyone here understands and supports your decision to remain yourself… I didn't want to turn you into a Vessel. But I did and threw you into a world beyond what you believed real."

"Don't blame yourself, it was beyond your control." Liddy responded.

"I'm not, I just wanted to have what I said out there." He said, a humorous joke that got a small laugh between the two. "After your surgery, let me know if there's anything else you want to know. You're officially in the inner circle."

"Thank you."

"Artorian, I'll need you to leave now." Charlotte stated, walking up to the two. "With the removal of the Abyss, we cannot risk your strain attempt to overtake you and prevent the surgery from occurring."

"Don't need to tell me twice." Artorian said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Good luck Liddy, you'll be under her knife for a few hours. But you're tough, I know you'll kick whatever nightmare's ass."

"I'm sure I will." She smiled in return as Artorian turned to walk away, pausing for a second next to Matthew.

"You're lucky you didn't cost us a Slayer."

"Just tell me that your father gave you one." Artorian ignored Matthew's statement, his eyes narrowing to his fellow hybrid.

"Of course he did." Matthew unfurled his hand, revealing a small white vial decorated with golden carvings and several gemstones. "One Divine Blessing, on the grounds she refused to be a Vessel."

"Good, make sure she gets it once the surgery is done." Artorian whispered as he walked up the stairs and out of the room, the door closing behind him as a red light turned on over it.

"Artorian?" Turning to his side, the Lord would see Mei Mei looking to him in concern, seeing the somber expression on his face.

"Hey Mei Mei, what are you doing out here?" The boy would ask, turning to the techno Neko maid girl. "I thought Charlotte would've wanted you to help with the operation."

"No I… I couldn't." She'd admit, poking her fingers together in embarrassment. "I don't like the sight of blood, and I could never think of opening a person up."

"Yeah, I'd get that." He would sigh, closing his eyes.

"Is Liddy going to be okay?"

"Yeah, Charlotte's an expert on this. She's removed the Abyss from every previous Vessel that was once a Slayer." He didn't even bother keeping it secret, knowing Charlotte's assistant would no doubt be aware of both his condition and the world wide situation.

"That's good, I was afraid at the intensity of Matthew's lightning when I got him." Mei Mei sighed in relief, placing a hand over her chest to steady herself.

"Ah he's just a prick, he'll contain himself." Artorian chuckled, although noted the assistant still appeared distraught.

 _'She's likely known her for years, of course she'd be worried.'_ He would think, recalling the fact that Mei Mei was likely older than him, although to what extent was unknown. But regardless he could tell she had the aura of a caregiver, and hearing of Liddy like put her in a bad mental state.

"Hey, Mei Mei." Artorian would begin to speak, rubbing the back of his head as he did. "I still have to give Karen her tarot cards signed by Sakura before calling it a night. Would you like to meet her? I'm sure you two would get along great."

"Karen, you're friend that you brought for treatment on Severance?" Mei Mei would ask, the small metal cat ears on her head lighting up green as she appeared more excited. "I'd love too! I always wanted to meet the person that inspired you to join us!"

 _'Well maybe not inspired, but let her think that.'_ He'd smile to himself as the two started to walk through the hall. _'At least she's going to be okay, right?'_ His last thought went to Liddy; confident the Slayer would handle the surgery like a breeze and be back to her old self. Although likely with a few adjustments in regards to his DNA.

* * *

 **(A/N): Yeah I'm not going to lie, I have no idea how I've been getting these chapters out. I've just had a recent vigor of writing going through me that seemed solely focused on Hundred. Maybe it's because after reading a good chunk I've gotten a good enough grasp to work on it, maybe it's from just thinking on ideas to work with what I was fully aware of.**

 **Either way, this chapter was just something I was glad to get out, as it means I've gotten a somewhat good chunk out of exposition on some of the Dark Souls aspects of this story. There's definitely more out there, but this will probably be the biggest and longest spree of the information. But excluding that, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll see you at the next one.**

 **Peace!**


	11. Planning the Pieces

"Hrrrrrrrmmmmmm…"

"Oh don't give me that."

"Hrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmm…"

"Can you at least let me explain-"

"HRRRRRRRRRMMMMMMM…!"

Shortly after leaving Charlotte's lab, Artorian had held his promise to bring Mei Mei to meet Karen, although as he learned there was a bit of an issue in the meeting. That in the form of the girl's disapproval of seeing yet another developed woman being present and familiar with him.

"Are you seriously going to pout about this?" Artorian asked, his shoulders slumping as the young girl was turned away from him, her lips pouting with her arms crossed.

"Yes, you know exactly what I'm upset about." Karen said, her eyes closed as she turned her head up to avoid any chance of seeing the boy.

"Karen I barely even know Mei Mei, she's Charlotte's assistant and I decided to break the ice." He'd explain. "I thought you two would be able to become friends if I introduced you, I swear it's not what you're thinking."

"Right, you just happened to find another big boobed girl to hang out with while I stay in here."

"We've technically only known each other for a total of two hours. She's an acquaintance at most right now."

"You're still ignoring the problem!" Karen whined, hitting Artorian's shoulder with barely any strength, both from her condition and not wanting to actually hurt him.

"I don't understand, why is Karen so upset with Artorian?" Mei Mei spoke, blinking in confusion as Artorian simply sat in place, not even fazed by Karen's gentle hits.

"Oh no reason Mei Mei, Karen's just a little jealous is all." Miharu would laugh, smiling as she watched the two interact over the situation.

"Come on Karen, this can't be that big of a deal can it?" Artorian would ask, raising an eyebrow as the girl would stop her cute show of anger, going back to her pouting as she did.

"You keep getting surrounded by girls, your only guy friends are Emile and Matthew."

"What can I say, I just have a way with women?" Artorian shrugged with a smile, Karen puffing her cheeks more while Miharu chuckled.

"I'm not talking to you for the rest of the day. Maybe when you apologize I'll reconsider it."

"Don't be like that Karen. Karen." Artorian would speak, trying to lean to be closer to the girl, however she would simply shift further away, her chin raised as she did everything she could to ignore him. "Karen, come on we both know you can't ignore me forever. Who else are you going to read fortunes about?"

"Hmph!"

"Well okay, if it's like that…" Artorian said with a smirk, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the signed tarot cards. "I guess I'll have to find someone else who wants these. But where am I going to find a Sakura fan so late into the day on a military warship?"

"Wah!?" That last bit got the girl's attention, sputtering as she turned to see the tarot cards in hand. "Y-You got them signed!? Sakura signed my cards!?"

"Huh? I'm sorry do I know you?" Artorian responded, his smirk growing as he held the cards up more, shaking them playfully as she looked to them. "You look like a friend of mine, sweet little girl by the name of Karen. But you couldn't be her, she said she wouldn't talk to me for the rest of the day."

"Artoriaaaaaan!" Karen begged as she reached for the cards, the boy easily keeping them out of reach by simply holding them up high. "Artorian please, I'm sorry! You know I didn't mean it, I'm sooooorry! Please let me see them!"

"Curses, the puppy stare. My one weakness." He chuckled as he lowered his hand and handed the card case to Karen, the girl beaming in excitement as she took it into her hands.

"Sakura signed my…"

"She was more than happy to." Artorian smiled, placing his hand on her head as her eyes shined with joy. "Took spending the whole day with Sakura in order to get them, I hope you like them."

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Karen cheered as she got up onto her knees and threw her arms around Artorian in a full embrace. "Thank you Artorian, I never thought I'd actually get an autograph from Sakura! This is the best day ever!"

"Hehe, careful there champ you'll crush me if you hold too tight." He joked, returning the embrace gently. "I was more than willing to put up with the Pink Princess if it made you smile. And I… I think I take it back."

"Huh, take what back?" Karen would ask, the two separating as she sat back down on her bed, the boy pulling the sheets back over her legs.

"Her music still kills my ears, and the level of pink is by far the most painful thing to stare at for too long… but maybe she isn't such a fake after all." He'd admit, scratching his cheek as he looked away.

"So you admit that she's actually a great idol and an amazing singer!?" Karen asked in hopefulness, looking up to him with a smile.

"Still can't stand her voice, I have no idea what you find so great about it but… yeah, she isn't so bad of a person. And maybe a good singer in your eyes."

"Step 2 complete…"

"I heard that."

"Eep!"

"Wow, are those tarot cards?" Mei Mei would ask, walking up to Karen's bed with fascination in her eyes.

"Yeah… what about it?" Karen asked, giving the maid girl a sideways glance with defensive eyes. She had forgiven Artorian for bringing her, but Karen was still on the fence about Charlotte's assistant in regards to her being around him.

"Back then Charlotte had her own set of tarot cards, she always showed me them but didn't ever actually use them in any way." Mei Mei recalled while looking at the cards in interest, before her eyes beamed with excitement and her tail started to wage. "Could you show me how they work?"

"E-Eh, you want me to use my cards?"

"Not these ones, I can tell they're meant to be kept for keepsake, but do you have a set that you do use? I always wanted to have my fortune read but Charlotte always told me that it's bad to listen to anyone just offering it out of the academy."

 _'Yeah, that'd make sense.'_ Artorian thought.

"Well I… I guess I could but… are you really sure?" Karen asked, suddenly getting cold feet at the cyber-cat maid girl's request. "Artorian's the only person who ever actually listens to them, everyone else calls it silly parlor tricks."

"I would love to see you work your magic Karen!" Mei Mei confirmed, smiling brightly as she did. "You have a gift, and I for one think having clairvoyance is a useful and special power. It would be my pleasure to see you demonstrate it."

"W-Well maybe if…" Karen would look over to Artorian, unsure of what to do on the matter over the sudden request. But seeing him nod as he got up, the girl would look back to Mei Mei sheepishly while putting her signed cards on her lap. "You promise you're not going to tease me?"

"I wouldn't even dream of it."

"Then… then I won't disappoint!" Karen would say, putting on a brave face as she would go for her normal tarot cards. "Today's almost over, so seeing your fortune wouldn't be very fun. So let's see what tomorrow might bring!"

"Yay!"

"You two enjoy yourselves for now, I need to talk to Miharu for a minute." Artorian would say, excusing himself and the nurse as they stepped to exit the room.

"Don't stare at Miharu's boobs!"

"I only promise to try." He'd chuckle in response before the two exited, closing the door to give them some privacy. "So, you said there was something about Karen's health?"

"Nothing bad, I just figured you'd want an update since last week was the last one you heard." Miharu would say, going to the console next to Karen's door and opening her notes. "The treatments are appearing to be doing very well, she's received them well and is showing signs of her Severance being prevented from further developing."

"That's good…" Artorian would sigh, half expecting the information to be bad but hopeful it wasn't.

"We'll be waiting a week to see if any complications develop, but should nothing come up we'll begin treating her to remove the virus' presence." Miharu would continue. "In about a year, she should be cleared down to the first stage of Severance. And after a process of smaller procedures over three years we'll have her completely clear of any trace of the virus."

"Four more years then." He'd mutter. "Four years and she can finally have her life back."

"It must have been scary, not knowing what you were going to do when she developed to the second stage." Miharu would guess, looking back to the boy as she saw him appear both relieved and sorrowful.

"I never wanted to leave her side, but my inheritance would only keep her in the hospital for so long." He'd respond, looking through the door's window to see Karen smiling as she'd set her cards down, Mei Mei watching attentively as she did. "I knew it would be a long process, but I never knew how to prepare that far. I worked and trained to get stronger to give her some semblance of normalcy. But when you're stuck in a hospital bed for years… I hate Judal but he gave her a chance, so I'll work as hard as I can to be a Slayer. For her sake."

"She's lucky to have a friend like you."

"It's more of the other way around." Artorian whispered to himself, looking down for a second before smiling to the nurse. "Speaking of being lucky, I caught a break when you found Karen's cards. Charlotte got them to me just before Sakura had to go back to her hotel. I owe you one."

"Oh, it's no problem." Miharu responded. "I was just happy to help, I knew that signature meant a lot to both of you and that it would be a shame to have her wait till your next mission to try again."

"Oh no you don't, I let Charlotte off with that." He said, crossing his arms while keeping a finger pointed at her. "You had no obligation to help other than seeing Karen happy, I will be paying you back for that. At the very least I owe you dinner, no acceptations."

"Well, I'd love to but, I already ate for the night." Miharu would say.

"A date then, I'll take you out to dinner sometime next week to pay you back for getting me Karen's cards."

"Artorian, you really don't have to-"

"Miharu, you not only are looking after Karen, but you're putting yourself in harms way by promising to report anything that could involve her." He'd then smirk, giving her a wink. "I refuse to let a fair maiden such as yourself do so much for me and not be given a proper reward."

"My, so forward for a knight." She'd giggle in response, appearing still conflicted at the idea but her posture relaxing. "Promise me you won't do anything too serious?"

"Just a casual dinner, no fancy restaurant or ulterior night of unbelievable passion. Although, I can certainly squeeze that second part in if you'd want."

"I'm not sure, I'm a woman with many needs. I couldn't imagine anyone could be so good as to give me an entire night of excitement."

"Well I'd say it's never too much of a stretch to try. I'm very good with my hands I've been told."

The two would then share a laugh at their back and forth teasing, neither having given ground and remaining calm. It felt like a good distraction for the two, as both their occupations demanded a lot of their time and energy. A moment to unwind if even for a moment was what the nurse really needed, and the knight was more than happy to provide a humorous distraction.

"Okay, I'll accept a SIMPLE dinner." Miharu would relent, making sure to remind him to keep it from going too serious.

"Of course, if that's what the fair lady requests." Artorian would give an over exaggerated bow, getting a small laugh from the nurse as he overplayed the knight motif many would put on him. "How would next week sound? I know you have a busy schedule, so I would expect you need some time to find a window of time."

"Next week sounds lovely. I'll see when's the earliest I can get off and we'll have a nice dinner."

"Step 1 complete…"

"I heard that."

"Heeee…"

* * *

"Gods, today was longer than I expected." Artorian would say to himself, cracking his neck as he walked to the dorm's public bath. After the constant change of pace going throughout the day, he simply wanted to end the day with a nice long soak in the hot, herbal water.

When he reached the door, he didn't even hesitate to hold his PDA against the room's scanner, not noticing the "Under Cleaning" sign on the door when he opened it.

"Huh?" Hearing the door open, the lone occupant in the room turned, Artorian staring with the boy with a half lidded stare.

Or rather said the girl posing as a boy, as Emilia stood at the shelves with nothing but a towel on. She appeared mostly drenched, having just cleaned up before moving to go to the bath, being interrupted by the boy's sudden entrance. The two were completely silent, neither knowing what to say for a second before Artorian sighed.

"Déjà vu." He mumbled under his breath, chuckling to himself as he looked back up. "Twice now I've walked in on you in nothing but a towel Emile. If I didn't know any better I'd say you're doing it intentionally."

"A-Artorian! W-What are you doing-!?"

"Wanted to soak up for an hour or two, been a bit of a long day." He interrupted as he walked in, casually walking over to the white haired girl and resting his sword against the wall next to a set of shelves. "I just finished checking in with Karen so I figured why not come here now before I do my late night activities?"

"O-Oh, but I thought you were still going to be out for a few hours." Emilia would say, her cheeks dusted red as the boy began to take his uniform off.

"Souffle relieved me early, said everything was set and since I went early that I could leave early." He informed, taking both his coat and undershirt before putting them in his assigned shelf. "And since I spent a good chunk of my day either cramped in a limo and standing, I figured washing up would be a nice change of pace."

"I see… then, would you mind if I…?"

"Gods I don't understand you sometimes." Artorian chuckled, taking a moment to stop and look to her. "You're always so forward in public, but when it's just you and me you go back to being flustered. From tomboy to school girl, it gets hard to tell which one you're more like the longer I know you."

"You didn't answer the question."

"You didn't ask one." Seeing the pout and stare the girl gave him in response, he shook his head with a smirk while turning back to his shelf. "Sure, I don't care if we wash up together. I'd certainly never pass up such an opportunity like this."

After turning away to give him privacy, Emilia would blush at the idea of Artorian taking the remainder of his clothes off, the Slayer wrapping a single towel around his waist before sitting at one of the basins next to the bath.

He would only take a minute to clean himself off, washing his filth off while Emilia removed her towel and got into the bath, folding the towel and placing it somewhere it wouldn't get wet. He would then follow in shortly after, rolling his eyes at the girl turned around to look away while trying not to look at him as he entered

"You know it's perfectly normal to be curious" He'd call out, seeing her shoulders tense from behind. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I'm the first boy you've been in a bath with."

"Well of course you are, are you telling me I'm not the first girl you've bathed with?" Emilia would ask, looking over her shoulder with a measuring gaze and a bright blush.

"Well of course not, I grew up with Karen remember?" He responded, relaxing in the water, feeling the herbs in the heat wash away his fatigue. "Hayato, Karen and I used to bathe all the time together back then."

"Oh right, you knew the Kisaragis for a few years before then. I can't believe I forgot about that."

"Me neither." He chuckled, stretching his arms as he sunk a bit more in the water. "Meanwhile places like Gudenberg have more personal baths, so I'm guessing you didn't have as many baths with your parents and siblings."

"I never really got a chance to…" Emilia muttered, looking down and getting his attention.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing! It's nothing." She would deflect, waving her hands forward as she turned to face him. "I was just rambling a bit was all. I didn't say anything important, honest."

"Hmmm." Of course he didn't buy it, but Artorian knew better than to push on personal matters like family. It was also a stretch for him to assume her family life, especially with her having a more "royal" background than him.

"So uh, how did your mission go?" Emilia would ask, wanting to change the subject of her family standings.

"Well it wasn't a total waste, when my ears weren't ringing anyways." He would say, scratching the back of his head. "Sakura was a little annoying through most of it, but I at least understand her a bit better. Plus I got Karen her autograph so guess who's her favorite person for the next lifetime?"

The two shared a collective laugh at that, finding Karen's antics to be both adorable and humorous. After a bit, they'd be sitting in silence, simply relaxing in the hot bath a few feet apart from each other.

As they soaked, Emilia couldn't help but think about how despite it having been two weeks since their first mission, this was the first time the two were actually relaxing while together. Normally they were either studying, training or going out to have lunch with Karen.

And recalling back to the mission, she looked to his submerged arms and imagining both the burn scar from Claire's full powered attack and the scar left from his bone puncturing through his skin. It hadn't been too long, but the little time she had since reuniting with the boy were followed with him immediately suffering multiple injuries, adding on to the scars that were already on his torso.

"Something the matter?" Artorian asked as he sat up more, having noticed Emilia's expression turn more somber and regretful.

"Nothing it's just… do they still hurt?" Emilia responded in return, looking up to Artorian.

"What, these?" He'd question, holding both his arms up out of the water to show the full extent of his scars. "Nah they didn't hurt that bad to begin with. My pain tolerance is pretty high, they numbed out after two days. I just had to wait for the bone to recover to avoid any jolts of pain."

"And the burns?"

"You did see me do this didn't you?" He'd ask, facing the palm of his right hand to her, revealing the more darkened scarring from him cutting the skin off. "The burns barely hurt, Claire's attack just did the right damage to make it difficult for me to move. For the most part it didn't hurt too much, physical attacks are the way to go if you really want to hurt me. Not that she isn't lacking, I sometimes still feel that punch she gave me."

"That bad?" Emilia knew it had to of hurt, since the force had actually managed to make him puke up his meal from before the fight. But she figured that with everything else he suffered through it would be the lower end of pain.

"Oh Gods, she doesn't look it but I'd say she can punch as hard as my master used to. That isn't any small accomplishment either, Bastard packed enough force to match a rock slide."

"You had a master? I thought you were self taught?"

"I taught myself to use a sword, but I learned martial arts and a few other tricks from a dojo master that lived close to the hospital that Karen was staying at." Artorian explained, grinning at the thought of his mentor while crossing his arms. "Bastard was an old friend of my dad's, I felt if anyone could teach me what it was to fight like him it'd have to be him."

"Did your dad have a lot of friends in Yamato?"

"Only a few, most were first generation Slayers so they were either retired, dead or working as intelligence for Warslran. Bastard was the former, so he knew how to whip a punk like me into shape."

"It must have been some intense training." Emilia would say, subtly referencing Artorian's heightened build. As she could tell from the past, he wasn't over muscular as many strength based Slayers were, but the definition to his body made it clear he went through more than his fair share of serious work. Not to mention the scars that ran across his chest and back.

"Oh like you wouldn't believe, Bastard's routine pushed me to my limit and then some. This body before you came from years of blood, sweat, tears and vomit." He'd chuckle; opening his arms more to show the smaller scars on the inside of his arms. "I can't even begin to count how many times I puked from our sessions, not to mention all the debris that'd hit me for my technique training."

"But enough about the past, I think we've focused a bit too much on it." Artorian would state, although out of an interest to change the subject than anything defensive. "Anything interesting happen while I was off protecting Sakura?"

"Not really, the day was honestly boring not having you around." Emilia admitted, pulling her knees up to her chest as she looked over to him with a half lidded stare. "You left in such a hurry that we couldn't eat breakfast together, and then you waited until this late to show back up at the dorms. What, had better things to do than hang out with me?"

"Hey, things just kept stacking up was all. Guarding Sakura took up a good chunk of the day, and then Claire asked me to meet her at her residence here when I was done."

"Oh, so you decided to have some fun with the president huh?"

"Don't give me that look, I'll feel bad leaving the adorable princess all by her lonesome today."

"You better…" She would grumble, although her cheeks would turn slightly red at the adorable comment.

"So it'll be like that then, huh?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, smiling as he crossed his arms. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to make up for today. Emile, would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow?"

"Wait, but don't you have-"

"Sakura will be busy the entire day, and her hotel is guarded by at least a dozen Slayers around the clock." He'd inform. "Souffle gave me tomorrow off so I'm completely free. And as you're going to try and guilt trip me, I thought why not take this chance for us to have a more official date. Sound good to you?"

"Of course it does, yes!" Emilia cheered, throwing her hands up out of the water with a grin on her face.

 _'Take that Claire! He asked me out first!'_

"Huh, taking a second look I think I misjudged the size." Artorian would say, confusing Emilia as she looked back to him. "With the way your variable suit was pushing on them when it got ripped, I assumed you were roughly a mid B-cup. But without anything keeping them down you're definitely a high-C, maybe a low-D if the water's obscuring more."

"W-What are you…" Emilia's voice died down as she noticed his gaze, going down past her eyes while he cupped his chin with a hand. Shooting her hands down, she would instantly wrap her arms around her chest, her cheeks turning bright red again as she pouted at the boy.

"Pervert."

"Says the girl who was eyeing me up minutes ago." He grinned in return, shrugging as he did. "I mean, I won't deny the accusation; but I'm not about to let you get away with doing the same thing to me. If I'm a pervert, you're a pervert."

"It's… different…?"

"Nope, that ain't working." He chuckled, crossing his arms as he continued to smile at the girl. "Do you even really care that I was looking?"

"…Not exactly…" She'd mutter, although loud enough for him to hear. "I just thought you were going to be the more subtle flirt, since you saw through my disguise and played around."

"Oh that's what you took it as?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "I just thought you were going through a phase or something. Or maybe that you were thinking being a guy would be a better life than-"

"That's what you saw it as!?"

"I'm not here to judge." He grinned as he looked to the side, the girl's whole face turning red in embarrassment. "But to be honest, you didn't look bad as a guy Emile. Aside from the feminine face you could've sold it, you definitely hid your rack. It's a shame you're keeping the identity up, I only get these moments to enjoy your womanly body."

"You're the worst…" Emilia whined as she put her head against her knees, trying hopelessly to hide her embarrassment.

"I enjoy the company too Emile."

* * *

 _ ***DING!***_

"That's the fifth message in three hours." Matthew would sigh, looking at his PDA as Claire sent another message to him, asking the whereabouts of Liddy. It's been four hours since Artorian brought Liddy in, and as of now Charlotte was only now going through the final steps of the surgery. As a Dragon Slayer and the representative of Lordran in Little Garden, it was his duty to oversee Liddy's operation, if even just to make sure nothing turned south with the Abyss.

 _'She certainly knows her way around the Abyss.'_ Matthew would think, having watched how well the small doctor had handled the surgery thus far. Nothing less from the one who developed it, having also created both generations of Slayers. _'Someone this smart, and she wasted so much of her time on the likes of the Abyss…'_

" **Matthew"** A screen across the room would light up, LiZa speaking up to the Lord and gaining his attention.

"LiZa? Aren't you supposed to be focusing on the equipment for Charlotte?"

" **Multitasking"** The screen would say, the gentle voice accompanying it as the pixels would alter and grow in numbers. **"May I ask a Question?"**

"It depends on the question." Matthew responded, looking to the screen with a raised eyebrow. "What do you want to know?"

" **The Abyss, how much does it consume?"** LiZa would question, the sentence forming just in the screen as the pixels continued to move to form each word.

"Anything and everything." Matthew answered simply, crossing his arms as he remained sitting, resting his back against the wall.

" **How?"**

"It simply does, nothing is safe from its taint."

" **You don't know"**

"History tells me all I need to know." Matthew stated. "You heard everything, and I assume you know even more since you're connected in here. Dozens of kingdoms fell to it, and if we hadn't done as much as we had, the whole world would've been eclipsed in darkness. It'd be no better than if the Savage win."

" **The Abysswalkers"**

"They simply acted, they had to prove themselves and were a viable power to combat the Abyss and Savage." Matthew corrected, catching the implication. "Do not mistake Artorias for the rule, he was the acceptation to what the generations of Abysswalkers were like before him. They're no different than the beasts they would fight against, whether it was Lordran's Wolf Knight or the ones from Drangleic, they were cutthroat and monstrous. They were no different than the Abyss themselves."

" **You don't know"** LiZa would repeat, getting Matthew to give a harsh stare.

"I have been shown the kingdoms that fell; I saw the long since abandoned corpses, toppled buildings, everything was either corrupted by the Abyss or left to ruin. My instructor made sure I knew my purpose and the dangers that came from my work. An Abysswalker has surfaced from their domain and is not only a Slayer, but also a Variant. Abyssal is a danger, no less than what a Primeval could be."

" **Discourteous"**

"Y-You know what I mean." Matthew would say, looking away from the screen in hidden shame. "He by nature is a threat, Artorian simply must be regarded as such."

" **Do you hate him?"**

"I have a duty, on the honor of my father and grandfather's name I share with. The honor of my family is dependent on me slaying him should he turn frenzy."

" **Avoided"**

"I don't like him, but as a fellow hybrid I'll make it as quick as possible." Matthew answered, looking back to the screen. "I cannot feel anything for him, it will interfere with my mission. Why do you even ask?"

.

.

.

" **Curiosity"**

"Curiosity she says." Matthew shook his head as the screen turned dark, LiZa putting her focus back solely on the operation. He knew the AI, and the truth behind its advanced mechanics. Simple curiosity would be the farthest from what made her ask about the Abyss, especially when the conversation took a more sudden shift to talking about Artorian.

 _'What could you be looking for?'_

* * *

"My Liege, we have returned from our reconnaissance." Out in the wastelands on the large island of the Zwei islands, two men of vastly different sizes bowed down on a single knee. The one that spoke was massive in stature, standing at an imposing eight feet tall wearing crude and heavy grey armor. His entire body was covered completely, a ruined red plume coming out of his jagged helmet. He had two massive pieces of equipment with him, a large axe and equally massive shield, the weapons seeming impossible to carry without both hands in use.

The smaller of the two was by no means small himself, standing a little over six feet. He had on a set of ruined black armor, several chunks of his armor on his torso missing along with the entirety off his right arm's gear. A single greatsword was attached to his back, a tattered cloak covering his right side with the hood remaining over his face, obscuring everything except his glowing green eyes.

"Are all of the pieces in the correct positions?" Across from the two were two other massive men; one in iron grey royal armor themed after a lion, and the other in tattered cloth, steel and bandaged armor. The lion armored man was at the same height as the axe bearing man, but the leader of the four stood taller at eight feet and six inches.

"The forsaken is serving in the ranks of Little Garden, acting as Lordran's representative for the humans." The armored man reported, his head bowing further as his arm crossed his knee. "He has made little to no movements outside of the battleship since the recent descent."

"A shame, a fresh Dragon Slayer would be an interesting sight." The leader hummed, rubbing his chin past his tattered wrappings. He would then turn to the two, a green glowing stone revealed on an alter made of stone. "What of those three Akin? What do the humans call them… Variants?"

 _"The currently labeled Hunters are lying in wait."_ The smaller of the two men informed, raising his left hand to communicate through hand gestures that the three others easily understood. _"They are waiting for the woman's stone to be present, while also looking for the Exalted that are here."_

"So they're looking to gain more energy from the Exalted, interesting." The leader spoke to himself. "Tell me, is there anything of concern to the plan in play so far?"

"None that we cannot handle my liege." The heavily armored figure answered. "We detect no comparable energy from the Slayers currently on the island. Should you wish for the Akin to be stopped we will eliminate them."

"For now we are to leave them." The leader would state, going back to the glowing stone and picking it up in his right hand. Removing it from the alter, the stone was revealed to be a vibrant and powerful Savage core, glowing a dark green that pulsed every second.

A more powerful pulse of light went off after, a deep but enlightened note being played by the core. The four men's eyes all glowed a bright green, their pupils turning to slits as the two men standing knelt down. The leader held the core above him, allowing the signal from the core to freely broadcast its message to them.

"As you desire, Holy Exalted. Several Akin are on the field for you, and it is a matter of time before the next Arrival. The fragment shall do its part in gathering the energy of our naïve brothers and sisters." The leader spoke, sounding as if he was talking to a revered idol from the gods.

Another low signal would be sent, the leader smirking to himself as green electricity danced around his body. Followed by it, similar traces of the power were tracing the lion knight's arms and the heavy armored man's axe. The smallest of the group remained silent and unchanged, aside from the slow build up of energy around his body, forming a calm and refined green aura.

"Your power will give us the might to defeat any that desire to keep the Akin from the feast. None can stand to us when your energy courses through our veins." The leader promised, raising his eyes to stare into the glowing core. "When the next Arrival comes, the days to your awakening will come. And the world will crumble before your holy presence. None will stand ready to defeat you, the Defiled are gone and the Lords hide behind fruitless walls."

"Your rightful will, shall be exacted on the heretics of this world!"

* * *

 **(A/N): A bit of a shorter chapter, but if I were to keep it going to include the next plot point I would feel this chapter would have to be roughly 10,000 words for me to fit everything in; basically double this chapter. So I thought getting this one out now would be best in case I get seriously distracted and I take two weeks to release this. Preordered Code Vein and had just beaten my first playthrough yesterday (I made Artorian, it was a blast) and started my second character this morning.**

 **Not too much else can be said, I'm picking up momentum for this story and am excited to get to some of the good bits to come. Also with the splash of my own stuff that I've been putting in thanks to Dark Souls. Pieces are being set and I can't wait to play them, but unfortunately the best parts need time to be revealed. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a good day. Peace!**


	12. Idol Insight

_**Liddy appears to be fully free of the Abyss, Charlotte prescribed her with medicine to deal with the growth pains she'll experience but aside from that there doesn't appear to be any physical changes. ~Matthew**_

 _'Thank the Gods.'_ Artorian sighed as he looked at his PDA, having just received the message from Matthew. The Dragon Slayer had informed him of each instance important for the operation; including the process, moment of completion and when Liddy had woken up. Luckily there appeared to be none of the negative side effects of the Abyss, meaning the Slayer did well in resisting it.

 _ **Growth will be the most immediate change she'll have. The other changes will come likely in the next two to three days, we'll deal with it when it comes. ~Artorian**_

 _ **Make sure this doesn't happen again. ~Matthew**_

"Yeah, I'll get right on that asshole." The Abysswalker muttered as he pocketed his PDA, sighing as he looked out to the ocean view. He was currently at the docks on the island, him and Emilia agreeing to meet off Little Garden for the sake of simplicity of getting out. He was unsure of how to prepare for the date, simply going with his casual clothes rather than putting on his uniform for comfort's sake.

"Hey Artorian, sorry if I'm a little late. It took awhile to get ready." The Lord would hear after a few minutes, feeling Emilia pat his shoulder from behind.

"Nah, you're on time Emile. I came a little early was all…" He'd respond, turning to face the Slayer and pausing when he saw her. He had expected the girl to be in her boy disguise, but was caught off guard as she was dressed in a white dress, small frills on some of the ends while her hair was let down instead of being tied back like normal.

"Oh, that's good, I was worried that I was falling behind." She'd smile, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. "It's been awhile since I prepared myself as a girl rather than a guy. It felt weird almost."

"I'd bet." He'd agree, his composure remaining calm as he put a hand on his hip. "Gotta say, I'm surprised you dressed like that. What if one of our classmates sees you?"

"We'll be careful, I didn't get this far playing a guy by being a novice." Emilia promised, poking her fingers together as she looked to the side with a small smile and blush. "And even then, I don't mind if I get found out at some point. You said you liked seeing me more like this, didn't you?"

"I mean you certainly won't see me complaining." He would say. "I just wanted to make sure that's what you want. I said I enjoy seeing you as a woman but I don't want you to feel pressured into completely dropping your cover for that."

"It's fine, promise." She would say, looking back up to him. "Besides, it feels nice to breathe normally for a change. I even get the chance to finally try on one of the dresses Char got for me."

"Well, if you say so. I just feel underdressed now."

"Oh don't worry, we can fix that soon enough."

"You are not taking me shopping to start a date."

* * *

"I hate this. I hate this immensely and I hope you know that." Artorian said as he stood outside of a changing room holding a stack of several outfits. Him and Emilia having entered the store despite his constant protests, the girl determined to find a new look for the hybrid.

"Oh stop being such a spoil sport, you'll have fun I promise!" The white haired girl promised, grinning as she pushed on his back, ushering him in before closing the door on him. "There's nothing wrong with trying a new look or two!"

"You grabbed nearly fifty different sets of clothes! We'll be in here for hours if you make me go through all of this shit!"

"We won't be if you just try them on, just give it a shot." Emilia pleaded, getting met with silence for a few seconds before an exasperated sigh was heard.

"I cannot believe I'm doing this." Artorian would groan, a bright smile returning to Emilia's lips as he would begin to change.

The first outfit he put on was a red shirt with a brown jacket and black sweatpants, the Lord shifting uncomfortably at his arms being completely covered by the sleeves.

"So, how do you like it?"

"It feels hot." He answered, rolling his arms with a dissatisfied stare. "The jacket's one thing, but the shirt's long sleeves makes this unbearable."

"But I thought you were colder than most people?"

"I like the cold, this just feels like I'm getting ready for winter."

"Alright then, go try another one on!" Emilia cheered, getting another sigh before he went in.

When he came out next he had on a black shirt with short sleeves and a matching pants. Both simply stared at each other for a few seconds, Emilia looking to his hair and eyes in contrast before they both looked down.

"Nope." They said in sync, admitting the color did not suit Artorian well. The process would go on for the next twenty minutes, with Artorian wearing a variety of clothes, all serving to be a resounding no from the Lord despite some appearing good to the girl.

"Over forty outfits, and not even one that you remotely like." Emilia whined while sitting out of the changing room, Artorian in the process of putting the last available outfit on.

"Hey, I prefer to be comfortable rather than look good. Not my fault you want me to play dress up to decide what I should wear." He argued, rolling his eyes as he put his shirt on.

"A lot of them looked really good on you though! I was sure the last one was a keeper."

"I hate button up shirts, too much work and they rip up easily. I already wear one for our uniform and that's enough for me." He stated, giving the reason without a second thought. "I also really hate the color green."

"Our uniforms are green though?"

"And I never said I liked it, a mystery how that works out."

"Hrrrmmmmm…" Emilia groaned, resting her chin on her hands as she looked to the door. "It'd help if you picked out some of the clothes, you're the only one who knows what you want to wear."

"Yeah, but I have no fashion sense. I thought my old outfit screamed that." Artorian would then walk out, the latest outfit catching Emilia's eye as she looked up. The Lord had on a brown shirt and jeans, the former having short sleeves that reached halfway to his elbows. However most of the shirt was obscured by the navy blue shawl that reached down just past his elbows.

"So… what about this one?" Emilia asked cautiously. She had saw that Artorian wasn't moving around nearly as much as he had with all the others, the Lord looking to his arms while taking in all the details.

"Shawl feels a little weird, feels like I'm begging for attention with how it's set." He responded, moving his arms a bit to push the sides of the shawl. "Shirt feels good, and the jeans don't appear to limit my movement too much." He then crossed his arms, sighing as he gave a small smile. "You know what? It's good enough for now. Something needs to be changed but I think this look will serve to keep me from looking like a hobo in comparison to you."

"What do you mean, it looks great on you!" Emilia smiled, standing up in excitement. "The blue goes really well with your eyes, and brown is a surprisingly good look for you!"

"If you say so, I don't have the touch to say that." He would chuckle at her exuberance, finding it relaxing in some odd fashion.

His eyes would then trail to the store, taking a measurement of everything before settling on two familiar figures. His instincts kicked in and he grabbed Emilia by her wrist, surprising her as he pulled them into the changing room before closing it.

"A-Artorian!? What are you-mmpph!?" Emilia attempted to speak, but was stopped as Artorian placed a hand over her mouth.

The girl was caught off guard and confused, reaching up to his hand before the sound of a familiar voice was heard.

"Seriously, you can't just wear the uniform 24/7!" Reitia would argue as she and Matthew stepped into view through the crack of the door. "It'd be nice if you actually wore something besides it when we hang out. It feels like you don't try to be a normal person."

"First, as a part of Selections it's expected I wear it more often. Second, we're usually on Little Garden so the uniform concept is further needed. And third, you're one to talk." The hybrid responded, getting a stern stare from the girl as she crossed her arms.

 _'He saw them in the store…'_ Emilia realized, looking up to Artorian as he kept a hold on her, keeping his back pressed against the far end of the room while the two remained in view outside. The girl would then relax in his grasp, knowing he did it to keep her identity secret from Reitia.

"Jeez, I was just making the comment. It wouldn't kill you to smile a bit, instead of the constant glare you have on." Reitia would then shrug, walking out of view as she turned. "But I know you won't, so we have to think of a few different looks to make you look better."

"You just want to shop for your own outfits and are using me as a scapegoat." Matthew called out, looking to the side where Artorian and Emilia's changing room was.

 _"Navy blue does not work for you."_ He would whisper before walking off, getting an irritated growl from Artorian.

 _"Navy blue brings out my eyes you fuck."_ Artorian responded as he walked out of view, defensive of the critique on the grounds that it was the Slayer who said it.

"Damn, who would've figured with a whole town to explore they end up in the exact same store we were." Artorian would sigh, taking his hand off of Emilia's mouth to allow her to speak.

"A-Actually… Reitia was the one who told me about this sto-OW!" Emilia winced in pain as Artorian flicked the side of her head, putting enough force to sting. "Whhhhhhhhhhyyy?"

"The fact she brought it up should've clued you in she intended on coming here." Artorian said, looking down to Emilia as her back remained pressed against his front. "Your identity would've been blown if I didn't see them. Even if we clue her in, the more people that know the more likely the secret will get out."

"Sorry…" Emilia muttered, looking down in embarrassment and shame as her hands still held onto his arm.

"Damn it, don't give the puppy eyes. Karen's are bad enough…" The boy would groan. "You just need to be more on your guard is all. You don't have the advantage of cross-dressing to excuse the situations you get caught in."

"I understand, thank you for the save." Emilia said, now able to relax as the two waited for Reitia and Matthew to be out of potential sight.

After they felt it was safe, the two exited out of the changing room and paid for Artorian's clothes, the two getting out of the shop as quick as they could as to avoid running into any other students.

Deciding they needed to get further away from Little Garden, the two took the bus to get out to the nearest town. According to Emilia, there was a good place to eat there, which felt appropriate for them to go to as lunch was coming up. It also served as plenty of reason to get out of town without appearing suspicious.

When they had gotten to the restaurant, Artorian took a second to register the François décor. The sight of which sent several red flags to his mind.

"You didn't learn this from Reitia too, did you?"

"No, Char actually recommended the place to me." Emilia answered, the two seating themselves and looking into the menu.

 _'Oh Gods damn it.'_ Artorian would think, seeing that the menu was entirely in françoisen. _'Over a dozen languages and this is the one that they have written in… makes sense but FUCK!'_

"Everything okay Artorian?" Emilia asked, seeing Artorian's narrowed stare at the worthless menu.

"Yeah… I just don't know what I'm reading." He admitted, dropping the menu onto the table and lowering his head in shame. "I've learned over a dozen languages, and françoisen was the only one I could never get down. I don't know why either, it just doesn't click for me."

"Oh, well I can. Is there anything specific that you'd want?" The girl would offer, seeing him show actual shame in not knowing the language.

"Nah, I'll just have what you have."

"Are you sure, I kinda eat a lot."

"I'll be fine. Trust me I have a bigger stomach than you'd think."

* * *

"I made a miscalculation." The boy said with a deadpanned expression, looking at the amount of food that was on the table. For just the two of them it seemed as if there was a meal for four, easily more than enough for the two of them to eat were they normal.

However despite the ridiculous amount, it had actually made sense to the boy that they had so much. Both of them were Variants, and as such burned through an excessive amount of energy throughout the day without actually using it. The amount of food he needed to eat easily doubled, and he still had to eat a lot before then with his Lord half practically burning calories away when he trained. It was however still a sight to see a girl of Emilia's size and figure to eat so much.

"Is something wrong?" Emilia asked, finishing a plate of fish while swapping it for cold pumpkin soup.

"No, I'm fine." He shook his head, chuckling to himself as he ate a piece of scallop. "I guess I'm not fully used to seeing so much food at once. For one I never pegged you for a glutton."

"Hey, you know full well why I eat so much."

"Of course I do, doesn't change you're a glutton."

"Jerk."

"Just calling them as I see 'em." He shrugged, the two enjoying their lunch while having an idle chat.

It was a rarity for the two to see anyone eat the same as them, but at the same time there was a level of comfort to the aspect. They haven't known each other for long since their reunion on Little Garden, but the bond they had were growing surprisingly. Every day felt as if a new view on them was made, for the better or worse it was always up in the air.

"I'll be back in a minute." Emilia would say after the two finished eating, excusing herself as she walked back to the restroom.

"Heh, guess it still has to come out at some point." Artorian chuckled to himself, finding his joke funnier than it should be. He'd then rest back in his chair, looking up to the ceiling with a distant stare. "Strong, gluttonous, compassionate… Gods to think she's the same scared little girl from back then…"

He'd then raise his hand to stare at his palm, seeing the flash of burning splinters as he recalled the Second Attack in vivid detail. "Then again, I guess I was just as scared back then." Placing his hand onto his face, he'd try to block the memories out as he sighed. "Don't think about it, there's no point mourning the distant past. They wouldn't want you to be absorbed in it."

 _'Hayato… dad… am I doing the right thing?'_ He'd think to himself, his last thoughts on the past before his PDA on the table started to vibrate.

Sitting back up straight, Artorian looked down to his device to see "EMERGENCY CALL", the sight surprising him enough to pick it up immediately.

"What's going on?"

 _"Good, you picked up."_ Claire spoke on the other side of the call, sounding both tired and relieved. _"Artorian, we have a bit of a problem."_

"Damn it, where did the Savage pop up? Emile and I can be back at Little Garden and gear up in a few minutes if we move quick."

 _"No, that isn't the problem. Although I must admit it'd be much easier if it were…"_ The blonde muttered at the end, getting the boy to raise an eyebrow.

"No Savage? Then… why did you…?"

 _"Sakura Kirishima has disappeared from the hotel."_

"How the fuck did she disappear!?" Artorian suddenly shot up to his feet, spooking half the patrons in the restaurant as he shouted. "There's over a dozen Slayers at the hotel, how could she just disappear without anyone knowing!?"

 _"It's most likely she had simply snuck away, the Slayers are assigned to watch the building, not monitor her every move."_ Claire informed. _"Her PDA's GPS has also been shut off, so she likely had this planned and simply snuck away."_

 _'Damn it Pinky…'_ Artorian thought with a narrowed stare. Kidnapping was unlikely to start, but he had a bad feeling in his stomach over her disappearing. Sakura's a famous idol, one that has no ability to defend herself. All it would take is one creep and she could be…

"Damn it, so is there anything else?" Artorian would ask, sitting back down as he attempted to calm himself, keeping his thoughts on worst-case scenarios down.

 _"We have several Slayers out tracking her, but I felt we had to call you. You had guarded her yesterday, meaning you would have the best chance at knowing where she is. And if that is the case, I would want you helping with the search right away. Preferably the sooner the better."_

.

.

.

"You sound mad." Artorian commented, picking up the subtle hostility in Claire's tone. "I get the idea you're mad, it's a hunch but I can definitely hear it in your voice."

 _"What are you saying?_ Claire would say in the same tone, adding onto the hybrid's instincts. _"What reason could I possibly have for being angry right now? Certainly not something as simple as you and Emile eating at a Françoise restaurant in Eastland?"_

.

.

.

"Did this turn into a booty call?"

 _"Artorian!"_

"Better question, are you watching us?"

 _"I had to find you as soon as possible, I've been pressed on searching for Sakura for the past hour. I haven't even had the chance to eat lunch because of this."_

 _'There it is…'_

"Claire, there are easier ways to ask someone out on a date than to use an emergency call as a medium."

 _"Th-That is not what this call is about Artorian!"_

"Nope, but I assume it was going to come up sooner or later." He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "Look, if I have to go looking for Sakura that means me and Emile will have to cut this date short, meaning we'll have to set another one. And I have a prior engagement to get to next week. Would you want to go out for lunch sometime after then?"

 _"That… that would sound nice."_ Claire would say, sounding embarrassed but grateful at the same time. _"We-well then, if all's settled than I must get back to my own side of the search. Please contact me if you hear anything else regarding Ms. Kirishima."_

"You got it Boss-in-Blonde." Artorian said, hanging up on the call and placing the PDA back on the table. "So the pink-ocalypse ran off… fuck I don't know where to look."

"I finally found you, Artorian."

 _'Never mind.'_ He rolled his eyes as a girl wearing a hat and sunglasses sat down in Emilia's chair, the boy instantly putting together who it was.

"You know you pulled a hell of a stunt turning your GPS off and sneaking out right? They have Little Garden heading your search, and it doesn't sound that Claire's happy about it."

"Fuuu… you couldn't have even played it off for a minute?" Sakura would ask, pulling her shades down to reveal her pink eyes slightly. "How did you know it was me?"

"First, the outfit isn't something to hide your figure very well. Second, I never forget the figure of a woman."

"60 points."

"We're still doing that?"

"Well, you have a lot of room to grow, so I have to make sure you preform well." Sakura would say as she looked away, pouting with her arms crossed underneath her chest. "You're lucky to get a score as good as 60, I don't mind your pervyness but you should act better in front of a beautiful young woman."

"I'm calling Prez." Artorian said, grabbing his PDA again.

"Wait!"

"Hey!" Artorian was caught off guard as Sakura was able to grab his PDA out of his hands, surprising him with her him by her quick reflexes.

"There's a reason I came out looking for you, you know?"

"I figured, but considering a private military company's top asset is currently looking for you I figured it'd be smart to tell them I found you so no one thinks I kidnapped you and I'm not shot on sight."

"What, they wouldn't do that!"

"You clearly don't know how international PMCs work." He sighed, hanging his head as he did. "How did you even find me? It would take over an hour to search all of Westland alone."

"Oh, I put a small transmitter on you."

"…How?"

"That's not important."

"I would beg to differ!"

"How about I explain to you what I did while we head out? There's somewhere I wanted to go to with you."

"And where would that be?"

"It's a se-cret." She'd respond, playfully sticking her tongue out as she did.

"…I'm going to get in so much trouble for this." He groaned, placing a hand on his head as he did. "Fine, we'll go to your little destination. I have to keep an eye on you anyways since you left without telling anyone."

"Yay!"

"But first." Artorian then got up and swiped his PDA from Sakura, showing his own speed as he got it before she even realized he was up. "I was here with someone before you showed up, so I'll have to message them when we leave. Also…" He then pulled out his wallet and put his card underneath Emilia's discarded napkin, mentally reminding himself to include that in his message. "There, hopefully that doesn't leave her in too bad of a spot."

"Oh, so a lady friend then huh?" Sakura stared at Artorian with a measuring stare, getting him to cross his arms.

"Hate to tell you Pinky, but you aren't the first girl I've ever met." He said, ushering her to follow as the exited the restaurant. Sakura would push her glasses back up to cover her eyes, getting the boy to roll his eyes as they got onto a tourist bus and sat at the back. He would then hold out his PDA to Sakura, confusing the idol as he kept it extended to her.

"Um…?"

"Call Souffle, let her know that I'm with you."

"But if I do she'll-"

"Either you call her, or I call Claire and I drag you back to the hotel."

"Hmph! Fine…" She relented, taking his PDA and putting in her manager's number. It would only ring twice before it was picked up.

 _"Artorian? Did Harvey contact you on what had happened?"_

"Hi… Souffle."

 _"Sakura!"_ Both the girl and Artorian recoiled at the volume, Souffle's voice booming in concern and anger. _"Where on earth are you!?"_

"Ow… I'm in the southern part of Eastland. You don't need to worry, I came here with Hayato so I'm fine."

"Bullshit!"

"Shh!" Sakura hushed the boy, getting him to turn away and cross his arms as he was figuratively thrown under the bus. Sakura would then begin to vaguely explain the situation to Souffle, the hybrid barely listening in as he stared out the window to watch the town landscape.

"Here." The idol would say after a minute, holding the PDA to him. "Souffle wants to speak with you."

"Fine." He'd say, taking the device and answering it. "Hey Souffle, it's Artorian."

 _"Artorian, I am very sorry for Sakura suddenly dropping this on you. I know it's a lot to ask, but could you please stay with her until she returns to the hotel?"_ Souffle apologized, her request coming off as awkward as she felt it was unjustly put upon the boy.

"Sure, it's not too much trouble." He responded. "It is what I was hired to do, I'm just clocking a few extra hours of work is all."

 _"Thank you, I'll be sure you're properly compensated for thrusting this job on you out of nowhere."_

"Why call it work?" Sakura said as she pouted. "That makes it sound boring."

 _"Anyways, good luck Artorian. And once again I am sorry for the inconvenience."_

"I'll take care of the pink princess, don't worry." Artorian would say, the two hanging up afterwards. "You'll be expected back at the hotel right after whatever we do, clear?"

"Of course, my rehearsals are at eight so I was planning for us to go here and then head back." The idol responded, smiling again as he put his phone away. "So… new outfit?"

"Yeah, just bought it." He said, continuing to look out the window.

"I think it looks nice, much better than your uniform." She complimented. "The shawl's a nice touch, but it feels a little off on you."

"That's what I said, but I'll figure out how to make it work later."

.

.

.

"I've never seen a combative Hundred before, especially not one in your form." Sakura would say, wanting to keep a conversation going to pass the time.

"My partner Emile said something similar." He responded. "Apparently the Wolf Knight is a rare Hundred type, I'm just guessing a greatsword and shield isn't a very common or effective combo."

"Wait, that sword you had wasn't your Hundred?" Sakura asked, confused as she suspected the weapon he carried yesterday was in some shape his Hundred.

"No, this sword is my dad's old one. It's important to me so I always have it-!" His eyes then snapped open as he felt the cushion beside him, noticing now that his sword wasn't there. "What the hell?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Did I not bring my sword on the bus? Where the hell did it go!?"

"You… didn't have it in the restaurant." Sakura's reveal caused Artorian's eyes to widen further, the boy turning to the back window to look out in shock. "Did you forget it at the clothing store you went to?"

"That's… but I… how could I…?" His mind was running rapidly, recalling every moment of his time in the store with Emilia. And that's when it focused on Matthew and Reitia appearing, and in the heat of the moment when they were out of sight he and her left quickly.

 _'Son… of a bitch!'_

"Artorian?"

"GODS FUCKING DAMN IT!"

"SSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!" The rest of the patrons on the bus shushed, most of which placing their hands over their children's ears while shooting him dirty glares.

"Oh fuck all of you!"

* * *

"I'm sorry you left your sword behind, I'm sure we can get it back." Sakura would say, Artorian noticeably missing a few beats in his walking without his father's blade. "I'm certain no one could've taken it."

The two had been in the bus for roughly an hour, and during that whole time the boy was fuming at his own stupidity. Never in a millions years would he imagine leaving his father's last memento to him behind at something as dignifying as clothing store, yet here he was now.

"…Whatever, carrying it would be too much of a problem for anyone to sneak out with it. It just feels… wrong. I've carried that blade with me for years, and today of all days I forgot. Damn it…"

Getting one last sigh out, he would attempt to raise his posture a bit, albeit just barely as they were walked for the next ten minutes down a dirt path in an open wasteland. He was almost surprised at how Sakura wasn't complaining, figuring an idol like her would hate walking over 500 meters. But she never even said a thing, rather forwarding strong like heading towards a vital objective.

It wasn't until the two made it to a viewing platform that Artorian saw exactly what they were out her for: the Zwei Great Canyon. The massive landmark was one of the Zwei Islands main attractions, a smaller but similar sight to the Grand Canyon in Liberia.

"Whoa…" It was the first time he had ever seen a canyon, and to see one as popular as the Great Canyon was enough to shrink away the irritation of forgetting his sword. The reddish-brown stone carved to near perfection from thousands of years of irrigation had him baffled at the sight. And the sheer scope of it was a shocking reality to see first hand.

"Like it?" Sakura would giggle, seeing the look of astonishment on Artorian for the second time now. The way he was looking at the canyon now reminded her of a small kid seeing it for the first time, bringing a smile to her face as she was able to give him this experience.

"Are you kidding? I've never seen anything like this." He admitted, holding onto the railings as he looked across the canyon's natural walls. "Yamato has nothing like this, I never knew that a canyon could be so… big."

"It's an amazing view, one I'm always glad to revisit." She said, standing next to the boy and resting her arms on the rails.

"When you said you wanted to go somewhere with me yesterday, is this what you meant?" He asked, looking over to the idol.

"Yes… I have many precious memories of this place. Of times when my mom… my mom was alive. She brought me here a few times, even two of my old friends were allowed to come with us one trip."

"Then is it really okay I should be here?" Artorian asked, letting go of the railings. "I can give you the time you need, I've got the sight in now so you're more than welcome to-"

"No, I want you to be here." She admitted, confusing him as she looked out to the colorful stones in the canyon. "I originally intended on coming here alone after my previous concert. But then… then the Savage landed here on the Zwei Islands."

"Oh… so that's why." He simply said, looking out to the canyon with Sakura as the sun was lowering bit by bit, the light illuminating the stones more.

"When they landed, I have to admit that I was scared. "What would I do if the Savage destroyed such a beautiful gift?" But in the end, a Slayer was able to save the island from its assured destruction. So I wanted you to come Artorian, I wanted you to see it. This canyon is one of my most precious treasures, and you were the one who protected it."

"Ah, don't say that." He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "You make it sound like I did something amazing. All I did was my job, there were two others who could've done the same thing as me during the mission."

"But it was YOU that did it, not them. And it was amazing." The idol smiled, closing her eyes in bliss as the wind gently blew on them.

After a few minutes of silence, Sakura would begin to sign a soft song; much more melodious and gentle than her normal pop music. Artorian initially winced in preparation for the ringing, but was surprised as it never came. As her song went on, he had felt a flow of warmth go through him, one that felt as if he was in a familiar presence rather than that of someone he's only met yesterday.

He was able to easily tell he had never heard her voice before her music came out, but the song she was singing felt almost identical to another he had heard.

 _"It recognizes when an entity is something it can familiarize with and lowers it's guard…"_ Charlotte's words echoed in Artorian's mind, and as he waited for Sakura's song to end he wondered just how it was possible that he recognized the song. It wasn't until her voice died down that he saw the visage of him and Karen in the hospital, the girl's tone similar to Sakura's as if they knew the exact same song.

"Hey, Sakura… where did you learn that song?" He'd ask, getting her attention as she looked over to him.

"This song? I learned it from my mom. She was a pianist and she made this song for me, saying it was for only me." The idol explained. "It's a good song right? My mom used to always sing it like this-"

"That isn't possible…" Artorian muttered, confusing Sakura as he looked down.

"Artorian? Is something wrong?"

"That song, Karen used to sing it all the time back when I visited her at her hospital in Yamato. I can't tell why, but I know it's the exact same song as back then."

"That can't be possible, the only people who have heard that song was my mother and my friends… but one of them died during the Second Attack…" As she went on, Sakura's eyes slowly widened in realization, looking back up to the boy as he shifted his view to her. "Artorian, you were from Yamato, just like me."

"Yeah… what about it?"

"You didn't happen to enter the shelter with two girls did you?" That comment caught his attention immediately, his body almost jolting as his mind struggled to recognize the situation.

"Yeah, Karen Kisaragi and Emilia Gudenberg. There was supposed to be a friend of mine but he, he died from a stray Savage blast." Artorian admitted, looking to the girl in confusion.

"Kisaragi… Karen and Hayato…"

And that's when it clicked.

"The singing girl…" Artorian muttered as his eyes widened in realization. "When I went out after Emilia, I left Karen back in the shelter. When I came back there was a girl who… that was you?"

"Karen was a friend I made two months before the Second Attack, she always said there was another friend she wanted me to meet but… I never imagined it was you." Sakura said in amazement, the two remaining in silence over the shared discovery.

"But, but Souffle and Charlotte said they found you years after the Second Attack." Artorian spoke, trying to put together how everything could be put together. "If you were in Yamato, how could you have been…?"

"Shortly after the attack, I was sent to live with my father in Rasiya. I'm sure you know it; it's a cold country and the center of the Rasiya Federation. It's snows almost year round and there's permafrost all over. It was a perfect place to be forgotten… or develop Severance."

 _'Oh… fuck…'_

"After a few weeks of the attack, I was hospitalized. When I was there, I had met Souffle for the first time. Back then she was just a medical intern, having left some big project for the military and looking for a new line of work." Sakura then smiled softly as she rested her arms back on the railings, looking out to the canyon. "She was… she was very kind to me."

"She studied genetic diseases and ways to alter them to be less dangerous or even cure them. I hear she helped cure something dangerous back when the Slayers were just implanted with powerful technology rather than equipped Hundreds. She tried so hard to help me, but my Severance was getting worse by the day. And after a year… I lost my voice."

Artorian looked to her with a sympathetic gaze, seeing her subconsciously rub her throat at the memories of losing her voice. He didn't have much to remember his father outside of his father and the journals he left, but that was a bounty of memories compared to Sakura. All she had was the song her mother made for her, and by then she couldn't even sign it. It would be like if he had gone blind while reading his father's old notes and journals, all of which were made for him.

"My father… he and my mom divorced before I was born. And by the time I lost my voice he was drowning himself in alcohol. When my treatments were brought up he had decided to transfer me to a laboratory to help with… no. No, he had sold me off as a test subject. And after that, me and dozens of children were transferred to a Warslran facility. All of us had contracted Severance from the Second Attack."

"There goals were an early stage of creating a vaccine for Severance, the fluorescent drug they gave us was meant to help people that were like us. But it… they did more than take a strain from Severance to create it." She then looked to her arms, a flash of seeing bloodied marks from the injections, haunting her as the glowing green liquid traveled through her veins.

"The head scientist, a woman named Vitaly Tynyanov, had ordered that Savage fluids were to be injected into us as well. She believed that the antibodies created to fight it could create the vaccine that they were looking for."

"That's… that's insane." Artorian growled as his fist clenched, his anger was growing from the moment Sakura spoke of her father, so much his eyes were slowly turning gold from his Variant virus feeding on his surfacing emotions.

"It was, and for a time I was on the brink of life and death. I can barely remember what had happened in the days before and during, just that it was extremely painful. But after it, I had managed to survive. My voice had even came back and I could move freely again. Her methods were horrible, but she saved me."

"A few of us were then ordered to try and interact with the Hundreds in possession. And when none of us got a reaction, Vitaly ordered to give us a second set of injections."

"Bitch!" Artorian shouted, surprising the idol as he slammed his fist down onto the railing and denting it in deep. "She was experimenting on kids, she was taking advantage of the experiment's goal to make damn Variants!"

"How do you know what a…" The idol's voice died down as she saw his eyes glow gold, his anger reaching a boiling point as he looked forward endlessly. "Artorian… were you…?"

"No, I transformed by accident." He admitted, knowing that his eyes were visible as he glared with enragement. "Emilia had a cut on her that some of the Savage's fluids got in, and I tried to get as much out as I could. But that was my choice, you were treated like a… like a damn lab rat!" His fist pushed down more on the railings, the metal nearly bending to a snapping point as he felt his energy slowly seep out of him.

It had taken almost five minutes for him to cool down, his energy vanishing as his eyes reverted back to normal. He was panting lightly, his limited experience with the power making it taxing to keep it in check.

"What… what happened?" He asked hoarsely, sounding almost scared to question.

Sakura's face visibly gloomed, her voice turning dark as she recalled the rest of her memories. "From here one, it's the worst of what happened. The second hardest things I've had to experience in my life."

"When we were injected a second time, some of us were able to activate Hundreds. About the same amount would also suffer side effects unrelated however. Some of them would suddenly explode with rage, attacking each other like they were beasts. I'd have nightmares of being in the middle of those fights, it scared me more than anything. But one day the nightmares just… stopped. I knew it was still likely but I never dreamed of them after then."

"A friend of mine, a girl named Latuni was affected by a stronger side effect from the injections. In her rage, she'd begin to spasm and scratch her chest, trying to rip into herself to get rid of the pain she was feeling. But as she would, she begged me to sing, saying it was the only thing that would help."

"And I would, the song my mom made for me. I sang as much as I could, and as it did I was able to calm not just her, but the other kids as well. And for a time, I was able to keep everyone from hurting each other and themselves. But eventually my singing… it wouldn't work."

Sakura would then begin to cry, bloodied memories of the kids beating and nearly tearing themselves apart rushing into her head. "They would be vomiting out blood or beating one another to a pulp… even Latuni was… she… she… I couldn't do anything to help her. I could only watch as they all died until I was the only one left. I thought I would die too, I thought I would lose myself just like them and be forgotten. But then… Souffle and Charlotte discovered the laboratory and found me."

"Apparently, my father never told Souffle of my transfer, and she asked Charlotte to help her find where I had been sent to. Vitaly was affiliated with Warslran military department, so she knew Charlotte would have been the one to find me. And when they did, Souffle knew right away that Vitaly was trying to make Artificial Variants. She was trying to solidify Warslran's position as a top PMC."

 _'Judal…!'_ Artorian thought with his fist tightening, his nails cutting his palm from the pressure he was holding it.

"I received treatment from Charlotte after they found me, and they gave a proper and safe examination to test how my Hundred would operate. I was able to get a reaction but… I couldn't deploy the armament."

"It's for the best then." Artorian said, closing his eyes as he attempted to rein his anger in. "You went through more than enough, you shouldn't have to fight any more battles. You suffered enough."

"Maybe… others suffered more and lost their lives. I don't want to have to fight, but there's a battle that I will always participate in." Sakura said, wiping her tears away as she stared out to the horizon.

 _"Sing, Sakura."_

"So many people gave me the strength to keep going, they helped me when I suffered and I was able to survive. So to hold everything they did for me close, I will continue to sing my heart out. Even if I'm no longer a human, with Savage fluid flowing through my veins. Even though the only reason everyone likes my singing is because I'm a Variant as well."

"Bullshit." Artorian said, getting the idol's attention. "I'm calling bullshit right here and now. People love your music Sakura, it has nothing to do with you being a Variant."

"Artorian…"

"Your songs helped many people, hell your signing probably helped Karen more than I was ever able to. Your music always brightened her day; it gave her the strength to keep going. And even then, there's no way your songs are only good because of the Severance and Variant viruses."

"How do you know?" Sakura asked, looking away as she did. "My voice enthralls a portion of the Severance, it makes a pleasant sensation that attracts others. My voice is only good because of the Variant virus targeting and altering the Severance in everyone."

"Then why is the song you sung to Karen not cause a ringing in my ears?" He asked in returning, surprising her as he did. "Sakura, there's a bit more to me than being a Variant. What it is, it hates being calmed, which your normal songs do. But this one, the single one I heard from you before all this shit is the only one that I was able to listen to."

"I'll be honest with you Sakura, I was never a fan of your professional music. The ringing hurt my head and I could never focus normally. But that song, the one I know that you sing with all your heart is the one I feel reach me." He then turned to her, giving a small smile as he did. "You're a born singer, don't ever doubt yourself for a second."

"Artorian I… thank you." Sakura smiled in return, his words touching as she stepped away from the railings. "Can I… ask something of you?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Can you reintroduce me to Karen? It's been ten years and I… I want to make sure she's okay."

"Of course." He promised, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure she'd love to meet you, both as a pop idol and as an old friend. But I think it's best until after your concert tomorrow. Karen's going to be sleeping soon and she won't be allowed out of the hospital until before."

"Thank you, you don't know how much that means to me that I can… there has to be some way I can repay you."

"You already have." He said, flicking her forehead lightly. "Just keep doing what you're doing, and help keep Karen smiling."

"I will." Sakura nodded, the two looking back to the canyon. "Artorian?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we stay like this?" She would ask, the two remaining there as the sun lowered more, night less than an hour away now. "Just until we have to go back?"

"Well, it's a pain but… sure." He smirked before looking down to the canyon with a somber expression. However his eyes showed a burning rage, turning gold as he hid the anger from the idol.

 _'Her own damn father… you bastard, I'll gut you if I ever meet you.'_ He'd think, his pupil's turning to slits as he clenched his teeth. _'And Vitaly, I have your name. Pray I don't get your face!'_

* * *

"Hey, why are we just standing out here in the middle of nowhere!" A girl complained as she and two others stood on a small hillside along the highway of the Zwei Islands. She had short dark brown pigtails and black eyes, her skin tone a medium brown signaling her origin in Al-Salaam; a small country out in the middle of nowhere. And above that, she looked young, possibly no older than fifteen.

"There's a chance some Savage are going to be in the area, so we were sent to see if we can scrounge up their cores before any Slayers show up." A boy of near identical features informed, his build surprisingly impressive for his height. His hair was much more spikes, unruly even as some strands went off in different directions.

"Well then why not attack the concert's security and get the variable stone from there and come back for them later?" The girl asked, her legs kicking off the side of the hill as she complained. "I'm getting bored just sitting up here and waiting!"

"Have you ever heard the phrase "If you run after two hares you will catch neither"? Attempting that would become nothing but a problem." The second girl and final member of the trio said, looking over to the girl. Much like the former two, she had the same hair, eyes and skin tone as them. However she appeared to be slightly more matured and taller than the other girl, and her right eye was covered by a cybernetic eyepatch. And all three of them had on jet black variable suits, altered variations to the ones the Slayers of Little Garden wore.

"Besides, haven't you had fun fighting against the other Slayers from back then Nakri?" The boy asked, putting a hand on his waist as he looked down to her.

"But that isn't enough. There's still more and more Slayers that can be taken down Krovanh!"

"Well don't worry, I'm sure we'll fight more when the time comes. And then we'll earn our freedom. So for now, we just have to wait for a Savage to show itself, then we can set our plans into action."

"...Yeah, I understand then." Nacre said, giving up as she rested her chin in her hands. "Still boring."

"Maybe you'll get lucky and a Slayer will show up when the Savage does." The second girl said, her voice quite yet heard by Nakri and Krovanh. "Then the chase won't have occurred and both will be right before us."

"I guess I can hope, you're right Nesat!" Nakri would say, grinning to reveal her sharpened teeth. "If a Slayer shows up, I'll kick his ass and take his Hundred! Then I'll get two birds with one stone!"

"That's the spirit Nakri." Krovanh grinned in agreement, revealing his similar yet sharper teeth. "Good things come to those who wait. Our hunt will come soon, and the Slayers will see just why Hunters like us are superior!"

* * *

 **(A/N): And another chapter out. Gotta say I'm glad to have this one out at this time, once again I'm avoiding let this story just sit around collecting dust like I had earlier. I also have to admit I really enjoyed this chapter, more than I was expecting considering how tame it was like all the others. Just shows I've grown from my old days of writing an unnecessary fight sequence every two chapters.**

 **Not much to say here, just a little note to say in regards to things. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one. Peace!**


	13. Idol's Shield

After her reveal of her past and reasons for being a singer, Sakura and Artorian both stayed at the canyon's observation deck for two hours, simply staring out to the canyon's stone before the sun went completely down. When the nigh had then began, the two made their way back to the nearest bus stop and boarded the next one that came.

As to avoid the chances of anyone seeing through the idol's disguise, the two sat at the back once more, a comfortable silence between them as they began the trip back to Sakura's venue for her to begin her rehearsals.

It wasn't until five minutes into the drive that Artorian would feel a weight shift onto his shoulder, getting him to turn. Sakura was leaning against him, her head resting on his shoulder. He was initially going to speak up, but paused when he saw the shallow breathing of the idol, realizing that she was sleeping.

 _'Showoff.'_ He thought to himself with a chuckle, lightly poking her forehead to test the level of exhaustion she had. When all he got was a silent groan, he decided to just relax and let the idol sleep. She had her rehearsals to prepare for and was even going to be using her Hundred, what's the harm inletting her sleep?

Although he couldn't join her, as his condition made sleeping the last thing he'd ever want to do, the Slayer would close his eyes and rest his head back. A nap wasn't possible, but he learned to synthesis the aspect of sleeping to give himself a better way to recover. It wasn't much, but it was the closest thing he could get to real sleep in years.

And with a beautiful young woman resting against him, he could certainly think of much worse positions to rest and recover some of his strength.

 _'To think such a fragile girl endured so much.'_ He'd think, releasing a deep sigh as he let his body relax. _'And I thought she was just a spoiled idol. Turns out she's got a will that's becoming rare to find these days.'_

"Who would've thought…?" He'd mutter to himself.

Just as he was about to fully drop his guard, Artorian's instincts flared and his eyes flash gold for a second. Moving as fast as possible, he quickly wrapped himself around Sakura's sleeping form, managing to protect her as a violent explosion sent the bus into the air.

"Ahhhhhh!" Shortly after the explosion went off, the idol and most of the passengers began to scream in fear, Artorian's eyes wide in panic as the vehicle was split in the air by a beam of green energy.

 _'One of the Savage!'_ He realized being sure to keep Sakura safe as the bus crashed onto the ground on its side. The windows shattered and glass rained on the surviving passengers, a larger shard grazing Artorian's cheek and leaving a deep cut.

"Damn it… Sakura come, we need to get out of here!" Artorian said, looking down to the idol as he rolled off her and got up to his feet.

"Wh-What's going on!?" The idol panicked, the explosion and rattling from hitting the ground disorganizing her. She hadn't suffered any real damage, Artorian's body having taken the brunt of both the landing and the glass.

"Savage!" He simply answered, kneeling down to one of the passengers knocked over. "Come on, come idiots get up!" He'd say, helping one of them up while others would attempt to pile out of the open half of the bus.

After clearing the way he went back for Sakura, seeing that the idol was still struggling to grasp her bearings. Picking her up in a princess carry, he didn't hesitate to run out, feeling the heat radiate off the still melting metal of the bus' hull. Going behind it with the other survivors, he would gently place Sakura down, seeing the idol frozen in terror as she panicked, her breathing escalating rapidly.

"Sakura, Sakura!" He'd shout as quietly as he could, snapping his fingers and breaking the idol's locked stare. "Sakura, I need you to calm down. Deep breathes, breath." He'd try to calm her, placing his hands on her shoulders to comfort her. It wasn't until thirty seconds went by that she'd show signs of calming down, her breathing slowing as she looked up to him.

"Ar…Artorian?"

"Yeah, yeah it's me." He'd say, taking one last look to the idol before getting up. He'd go over to the back end of the bus, barely poking his head out to see what kind of Savage he was dealing with. Luckily it wasn't a Trenta like before, rather it was a normal type, no bigger than five meters. Which meant it would need a few minutes before it could fire another blast.

 _'Okay, I might be able to work with this.'_ He'd think, going to the far side of the bus, now sneaking a look to see the forward half of the bus completely upside-down. _'The middle was completely destroyed, and there's five survivors here minus Sakura and me. If they were lucky, perhaps another five survived in the front. As long as they don't alert the Savage, they'll be safe.'_

"What are we going to do?" One of the survivors asked, the group showing signs of panic in the presence of the invader.

"You're all going to remain here for the time being." Artorian answered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his PDA. The screen was shattered, a result from him taking the brunt of the explosion and crash for Sakura. However, it was still functional enough to operate, meaning they weren't dead in the water yet. "Call Claire Harvey."

 _"I.D. not recognized."_

"Shit, call… the President?"

 _"I.D. not recognized."_

"Ravel Phenex?"

" _I.D. not recognized."_

"…Boobs-for-Brains?"

" _Calling Boobs-for-Brains."_

.

.

.

"Um-"

"It was funny at the time, okay?" Artorian said, not wanting to turn and face Sakura at the question. "I swear I forgot that's what I put her as for a normal contact."

"Suuuuuuure." The idol would respond, although with a measuring stare.

 _"Artorian?"_ He'd let out a sigh of relief when Claire answered, the president sounding confused but fully aware. _"Why are you calling? Did you return Kirishima back for her rehearsals?"_

"Claire, there is a Savage on the Zwei Islands right now." Artorian would say, avoiding speaking too loud as he continued to watch it from behind the bus. The Savage was moving slowly to the two halves of the bus, however didn't appear to be focusing on either and likely assuming all humans died in the impact.

 _"A Savage!? Where are you, what's Kirishima's condition, what's the size and can you confirm any casualties?"_ Claire responded, instantly getting into business.

"We're a couple kilometers out of Eastland, on the road that heads for the Great Canyon. Sakura's okay, maybe just a bump or bruise but I made sure she didn't take the brunt of things. The Savage is at most five meters, a little smaller than that, so we won't have to worry about a Trenta. And I can't say for certain, but I estimate that at least ten people were killed by the Savage's first blast."

 _"Chris, track Artorian's PDA tracking chip and get us an exact location now!"_

 _"Understood Claire."_

 _"Artorian, me and the nearest Slayers will come as quickly as we can to back you up. Your primary objective is to escort everyone you can to safety. You have permission to use your Hundred, but only engage if you feel that you can stall it."_

"Good, if I can fight back then-"

 _"Artorian, do not play the hero. Without a variable suit you won't be able to use your Hundred as effectively as you had before. Destroy the core if you have the opening, but only if you can say for certain that you won't be injured."_ Claire ordered, interrupting Artorian as he was reaching into his pocket for his variable stone. _"You're Sakura's those civilians only chance at survival. If you die before reinforcements come, it will be a blood bath."_

"…I understand." The boy looked down, knowing the president's words were accurate. He was the only person who had any chance at fighting a Savage, Sakura's Hundred had zero use for active combat aside from diversions. He knew direct action could solve the problem the quickest, but one slip up this time and he could be killed.

 _"I trust you to do the best you can, you're a gifted Slayer."_ Claire supported. _"You have a promising future, stay alive and see through this fight to the end. I have to hang up, hold out for as long as you can."_

"Understood." He said before hanging up, pulling his variable stone out and looking to Sakura and the civilians. "If you can move, get to the cliff behind us. The Savage shouldn't know you're there with our current cover and you can remain hidden until the other Slayers show up."

"What about you, you're not going to fight it will you?" One of the people asked.

"Fighting it is a bit of a risk." He responded. "For now my goal is to get to the other civilians in the front half of the bus that may still be alive. After that I'll keep it busy and stall for time. If I'm lucky, it'll treat me like food and attempt to grab me instead of just crushing me." It wasn't a great scenario, but if the Savage focused more on grabbing him to eat he would be able to dodge it better. If anything he could release all his energy at once to free himself from its mouth if it managed to get him.

"You can't go out there by yourself!" Sakura protested. "You don't have a variable suit, and there's no guarantee that it will even let you get close. It could fire a blast and you could be eviscerated in an instant!"

"Yeah, there's always a chance for that. But then again there's always a chance tripping can break your neck. If you focused on the negatives of a "what-if" you won't get anywhere." Tightening his hand around his variable stone, Artorian would grin as he stared to the Savage, seeing it draw closer. "I'd rather take a shot at this then give it the satisfaction of scaring me."

"Hundred On!" Dropping the stone, Artorian's Hundred would flash into reality, his greatshield forming over his right arm while a sword formed in his left. He noticed right away it was significantly lighter and weaker, no more than an average blade compared to his normal equipment. "Sakura, help the others get these people to safety, I'll divert it in the other direction for a short while."

"But it's too dangerous to fight it alone!"

"It's charging an attack!" One of the passengers shouted, getting the two's attention to see the Savage open it's mouth, energy building up as it prepared another attack.

"We don't have time to debate!" Artorian barked at Sakura, jumping up and landing on the top of the bus, focusing his energy into his shield. "Get moving!"

"No, I won't let you!" Sakura argued, reaching into her dress and pulling out her variable stone. "Hundred On!"

"Sakura what are you doing!" Artorian's demand was cut short as the Savage threw its mouth forward, a beam of energy speeding right for the Slayer. However just before it reached, Sakura would fly to right in front of him, holding her arms out with a determined stare. "Sakura!"

"Pause, focus, and release!" Sakura shouted to herself, her eyes turning bright gold as a visible vibration in the air went off, followed by a transparent barrier forming in a wide area the moment before the energy reached them. The moment the beam struck the barrier, Artorian was shocked to see it only push for a few seconds before fading away, completely eaten up by the idol's defenses.

"An N-Barrier? But… I thought you couldn't-"

"Charlotte taught me how to use one shortly after giving me my Hundred." Sakura explained, looking back to him with her eyes still glowing. "I can only activate it with my virus, so I won't be able to use it too many more times."

"Maybe, but that was too dangerous. You're safety is the priority here, you can't go throwing your life at risk like that!" He responded, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her behind him. "Go to the others, use your barrier to keep them from getting hurt."

"I'm not going to leave you!"

"I'm not telling you to." Artorian spoke, gripping his sword as he looked back to her. "Sakura, you said you chose to be an idol to give people hope, to help them in ways no one else could. Well I'm asking you to cast aside that unique approach for a basic one." Holding his arm to the side, Artorian would point to the front half of the bus.

"There may be survivors in there, and they need help more than I do." He would then turn his attention back to the Savage, seeing it prepare another blast. "Go to them, get them back with the others and make sure they're safe. Do that, then you can assist me with diversions."

"But… but if we work together right away we can protect everyone. The quicker we eliminate the Savage the sooner we can-"

"It's not about beating it." He would say. "It's about keeping you the way you are. I don't care about saving everyone; in fact I'd normally willingly use them as bait or divert the Savage's focus. I did it as a kid to guarantee Karen made it to safety. But you aren't like me; you care for everyone and want to help as many as you can. So stay true to yourself, help them before you help me."

"Artorian…" Sakura struggled to argue against the boy, finding herself caught in a difficult ultimatum. On one hand, she didn't want the boy to fight against the Savage by himself. Without his variable suit his power was but a fraction of when he fought against the Trenta, even with a regular Savage the chances of surviving for more than a few minutes were slim. But on the other hand, she couldn't abandon the people potentially stuck in the bus still, not when a single stray blast could wipe them all out.

Taking one last look at the Slayer, Sakura saw that he was not even flinching in his stance, keeping his shield in front of him with energy coursing around it. His energy levels were likely not enough to handle a Savage, even with his Variant capabilities. But as a Slayer, he still had a higher chance of survival than the others, which unfortunately shifted her views away.

"Don't get hurt. Promise me you'll last long enough for me to help." Sakura spoke as she took off, flying over to the separated bus in a trail of glittered energy.

"Your wish is my command, humble idol." Artorian smirked as he planted his feet, pushing into the bus' metal as the Savage fully charged its energy, firing another blast right at him. Seeing the angle of the blast, the hybrid would lunge out to the side, narrowly avoiding the blast and allowing it to fly harmlessly into the air before jumping off, landing on the dirt in front of the destroyed vehicle.

"Alright you giant alien crab, come get me!" He'd shout as he ran forward, rushing the Savage to draw its attention away from Sakura and the others. As initially expected, the alien would attempt to slam its claw down to crush him, the Slayer narrowly avoiding the attack and swinging his sword at its leg.

Although with no energy infused in it, little more happened then sparks forming as his arm jerked back. Breaking through the Savage's armor was a challenge but still doable with his variable suit, without it he might as well be kicking it in hopes of getting a reaction.

Jumping to the side, he would once again avoid the beast's limbs as it tried to squash him. The landing was rough, but he was quick to roll over his shoulders and onto his feet, his stance remaining firm as he stared the Savage down. As the monster turned towards him, Artorian would take a solid look to its head, seeing the armor that was defending the core.

 _'Even weakened, breaking that will be trouble enough. Not counting the fact I have to smash the core in the same move.'_ He'd think, watching as the Savage finished shuffling around to face him, letting off a loud hiss as it stared to him. _'Looks like I'll have to borrow one of your techniques Bastard. Guess I'll see if it's as much of a Savage killer as you always said.'_

Rushing forward, Artorian would watch carefully at the Savage's limbs as it raised both, predicting the right claw to crash down followed by the second. Dodging to the opposite side when they came, he swung up with all his force, just managing to move its abdomen.

The Slayer would click his tongue, staring closely at the armored hide before rolling underneath the beast's legs, avoiding the dragging claws attempt to strike him. When he was at his feet he struck up again, hitting fiercely as the Savage continued to easily tank each blow.

 _'Damn it, how did he ever see it?'_ Artorian would question as he ran out from under the Savage, turning quickly and holding his shield arm defensively as the Savage turned and swung, the edge of its pincer striking the shield and causing him to skid several feet back.

His arm shook in shock, the blow causing his arm to feel numb like it had taken a cinderblock without any preparation. _'Damn it, the one time I want to wear that stupid spandex suit.'_ He'd think as the Savage shuffled again to face him, it's eyes narrowing as it looked to him.

 _'This stupid Hundred isn't effective enough.'_ He'd think, pouring more of his energy into his shield to increase his defenses. _'If I didn't forget my father's sword, I'd be able to get the damn move down no problem! But I can barely see any of the subtle movements Bastard said to look for.'_

He'd then watch as the Savage opened its mouth, appearing to prep its canon for another blast. But before it would finish, the organic weapon would mutate, transforming into a minigun variation.

 _'Shit!'_ Keeping his shield up, Artorian would be barraged by a storm of small bullet like projectiles from the Savage, several getting past his defenses and hitting across his body. The Savage's quick mutation had caught him off guard, but after suffering a few of the shots he would find a split second opening in the pattern, lunging out of the flurry of bullets and back into the open.

He winced at the wounds he suffered, small burns forming underneath his clothes while several pieces of the fabric were burned off, a solid chunk of the left of his shawl destroyed and exposing his arm.

"Oh now you done it bastard." Artorian would growl, narrowing his eyes to the beast as his grip tightened on his sword. Rushing forward, he'd move at an angle as to avoid the Savage's attempt at spraying him with energy. Due to the mutation the Savage was able to fire more freely, however it came at the sacrifice of accuracy and power.

Swinging at its legs once again, Artorian would feel his arm recoil from the blow, but saw the leg slightly move as a result from the force. He was getting close to the proper form, but he had yet to find what he was looking from the Savage's reactions. But before he could consider any alternatives, the creature swung at him again, knocking him rolling across the rocky ground before he slid back on a single knee.

 _'Damn, I felt that one a lot more.'_ He'd wince, feeling his right arm slowly giving in to the two blows it had blocked. Even with the energy enhancing his protection, it was clear the Savage would outmatch him quickly. Waiting for reinforcements would only get himself killed, leaving him with no other option than to try and go for the kill.

"I need to get to the core, but I can't focus on the technique if it follows my movements for the whole time." He'd say to himself, standing back up and gripping his sword with both hands. Defense would be pointless, as getting hit would just continue to push him back, preventing a solid blow to the core. And as his shield moved to his back, the energy would transfer from it to his blade, the blade glowing with a faint trail of blue.

 _'One hit, it's all I'll need.'_ He thought to himself, holding his sword in front of him with a relaxed stance, keeping his eyes narrowed as the Savage looked to him. It was now seeing him as a plaything, daring him to make a move in response to his attempt at fighting back. _'Focused on me… I need an opening.'_

"Deploy decoys!" Hearing the idol's voice, Artorian was surprised by the appearance of several random animals surrounding the Savage. However soon recalling the abilities of her Hundred, he'd shake the hesitation away and ran straight for the Savage, which was now distracted striking at the different decoys created.

When he was close enough, the Savage would realize his position and raise a claw up, but it was too late as Artorian bent his knees and jumped high into the air, avoiding both the attack and clearing the height with shocking agility. Glaring with heated rage, the Slayer looked down to it as he went down, bringing his blade right to the barrier and striking with enough force to stun the beast, the armor for the core still intact.

However, this time Artorian grinned as his eyes narrowed in on the exact point he had struck it, catching the faint vibrations of the plating. "From you to me, go fuck yourself space crab!" He'd scram, timing his next swing down with the moment the vibrations went up.

Striking with all his force, Artorian's timed attack crushed right through the Savage's armor and smashed into the core. The fluorescent fluids spilled out of the best as the core shattered, a single drop landing on Artorian's face as he landed on the ground in front of the beast.

 _'Guess it is better than a neat rock trick. Thanks for the lesson, Bastard.'_ Artorian would grin as he wiped the drop off his cheek.

"Hooray!" hearing the idol cheer, Artorian turned around in time for Sakura to jump at him, wrapping her arms around his neck for a hug and getting him to spin. Making sure she didn't fall, the hybrid placed a hand on her back, somewhat returning the embrace before stopping and putting her down, the idol then clinging to his arm with a happy smile. "A clean kill, just as expected from my future husband."

"Wow you're still on that." He muttered to himself, chuckling as he shook his head. "Sorry there Sakura, but my criteria for marriage is a bit higher than 24 hours of knowing each other."

"Hey I said future, not current." She'd say, relaxing as she hugged his arm. "There's time for that later."

"We'll see." He responded, although taking a recovering breath, having put a lot of energy into destroying the Savage's core. It had been a long day so far with his date with Emilia and guarding Sakura, destroying a Savage was the icing on the cake of a rather draining day.

* * *

However before he could relax, the Slayer felt the ground shake, getting them to turn to a nearby rock formation in time to see a second Savage appear from behind it.

"Second thought, celebrations come later." Artorian would say, picking up Sakura once more and bolting it across the open terrain. Looking behind his shoulder, he'd see that this Savage was larger than the previous, still not close to a Trenta but still an imposing threat.

 _'I won't be able to make that jump and use Bastard's technique with that size.'_ He'd think, seeing the Savage charge a blast and turn while stopping.

"Sakura, barrier!"

"R-Right!" The idol would respond, trusting Artorian to keep a hold of her while holding both her hands, forming an N-Barrier in time with the Savage's attack. The attack lasted longer than the last Savage's, but was still dispersed into nothing after battling Sakura's barrier.

"I'm really glad you can use an N-barrier, you know that?" He'd say, sighing in relief as he looked down to the idol. He then appeared concerned as he saw Sakura panting lightly, the girl dropping back and now being completely held up by his arms. "Sakura!?"

"That was my… fourth barrier…" She panted, exhaustion clear in her voice. "Several shots almost… hit the bus… and I used too much energy in that last one…" She then looked over to Artorian, appearing regretful over her state. "I'm sorry… Artorian."

"Hey, it's okay. You did good Pinky." Artorian would say, running back to the nearest rocks to rest her against. "Take it easy for a few minutes, with any luck reinforcements should be here soon." He then stood up to his full height, turning to the Savage to see in shock that it was already charging another blast.

 _'Shit, it pre-charged!?'_ Savage were known to do this, usually when aware of another, weaker one being present to divert attention away from it to create a stronger set of attacks than the regular charges did. It would explain how it drained most of Sakura's remaining energy, as well as creating a second attack so quickly.

But just before the blast would be fired off, an explosion of lighting went off on the top of the Savage's head, causing it to look up and fire the beam harmlessly into the sky.

"You're sloppy Artorian." Matthew would say from the top of the ridgeline the civilians were hiding behind, his Hundred active with his trident aimed at the Savage. "Sloppy, but you held out long enough, leave the heavy lifting to us."

"Us?"

"Time to take this thing down a few notches!" Retia shouted with a wide grin, jumping past Matthew and landing on even ground with the Abysswalker. Her Hundred was active as well, however much like Artorian hers was in a more basic state, not as detailed as her normal form but still broadcasting more than enough energy.

"If I can destroy the core, then I'm a full-fledged Slayer!" Retia would say to herself, narrowing her yes in determination as she ran at high speeds right at the Savage. Seeing it rear one of its claws back, Retia would course her energy into her right fist, surprising Artorian.

"Wait, she can use her energy? I thought we couldn't have full access without a variable suit?"

"She's just better than you in that regard." Matthew would say, firing another blast of lightning to stun the Savage as it struck down at Retia.

Seeing this coming, Retia struck the ground with all her strength, a shockwave shortly following. The reaction went straight for the Savage's legs, reverberating off the limbs and shooting back out of the air, damaging the beast's left claw and leaving it useless.

 _'Oh she is definitely teaching me that.'_

"Thank you for the opening Retia!" The Savage was then further crippled as Emilia flew down from the sky, her Arms Shroud active with a massive-scissors like Hundred, slicing the right claw off as if it was butter. Unlike in her date with Artorian, the girl was back in her male disguise, her hair tied back and her uniform on to prevent any notice of her feminine features.

"Good work you two." Artorian spoke as he charged energy into his sword, lowering his stance as he stared at the Savage's guarded core. "Matthew, get me an opening on the core, I'll destroy it in the next hit."

"Don't miss." Matthew said as he impaled his trident into the ground, raising his right hand into the air instead as lightning danced around his arm. In a second a spear of lightning formed in his palm, and in a single throw it closed the gap in an instant. The power behind it was more than enough to break apart the armor, the Savage even lowering due to the amount of force it was hit by.

Now seeing his opening, the hybrid ran forward with intent, his eyes narrowing in determination as he cleared the distance. Planting his feet down, Artorian would jump high once more, just clearing the gap between him and the core as he brought his sword up.

But just as he was about to swing down, the Slayer saw in shock as the damaged left claw suddenly shot up, striking him without resistance and sending him crashing back. Landing on his side, Artorian rolled for what felt like a full minute before his back hit a boulder, the force from both impacts causing him to cough out blood.

"Artorian!" Emilia shouted in concern as she saw the Lord crash, both her and Retia forced to retreat when the Savage attempted to swipe at them.

"Damn it, a Regenerator." Matthew clicked his teeth, the Slayers all watching as th Savage's damaged claw was now perfectly healed, not even a dent left from Retia's attack. Not only that, but shortly after hundreds of silk-like tendrils shot out and reformed the claw Emilia cut off, demonstrating the effectiveness of its healing factor.

"Artorian, are you okay!?" Emilia asked as she glided back to where he was, kneeling next to him and checking his injuries. "How bad is it?"

"I'm gonna have two hellish bruises, that's for sure." He groaned, blood dripping down from the corners of his lips. From the sound of his voice he was in serious pain, but despite that he was fighting against it and stood up to his feet, wiping the blood off his mouth with his forearm. "Nothing I can't recover from, don't worry about me Emile."

"…Okay." Emilia nodded, trusting Artorian to know his limits and turning back to face the Savage. "With a Regenerator on the field, it looks like we're going to have to finish this fight quickly."

"Any ideas?" Artorian asked, cracking his neck to get the pain out.

"Retia, Matthew; can you two get me an opening on its limbs? A good punch to its central abdomen and a lighting blast to its head is all I'll need." Emilia asked, pressing a finger against her earpiece that Artorian just noticed. "Once I get close I'll cut the limbs off, then Artorian can strike the opening we made."

"You got it Emile!" Retia responded with a grin, getting into a readied stance as energy coursed into all of her limbs. "I'll deck this thing with all I can!"

"I'll create your opening, just make sure he has the clearing to hit the core." Matthew nodded, summoning another lightning spear in preparation for the move.

"Look at you, being a team leader coming up with a plan." Artorian smirked, swinging his sword to the side and getting into his stance. "About time I'd say we took this thing to the scrapyard."

"I won't let you down." Emilia spoke as she glared at the Savage, gripping her scissors Hundred tightly as energy slowly escaped from her petals. "On my mark…" The whole wasteland became dead silent as the four Slayers shifted into position, weakened in comparison but not lacking in spirit in face of the Savage.

"Go!" Upon Emilia's order, the Slayers all went into action, Retia taking off at high speeds and striking the Savage in its center with everything she had, causing it to stumble back. Shortly after, Matthew threw his spear of lightning and hit its head, reopening the healing damage over its core and further stunning it.

The Savage wasn't even able to finish stumbling back as Emilia flew right to it and cut both limbs off with extreme accuracy, not even blinking as she stopped herself and turned back to face it. "Now, rush the core Artorian!"

"On it!" He responded, running directly for the Savage before jumping up, with the Savage lower than before thanks to the damage it had taken. He was in the perfect position to take it out, energy flowing freely into his blade with the core wide open. One solid swing would be all he needed to destroy both the core and the Savage it powered.

"Well lookie what we have here?" In the instant before he would begin to swing down, Artorian was intercepted by Krovanh, the Hunter jumping off the Savage and swinging up with a massive twin-bladed sword. "Not only a Savage, but four Hundreds all ripe for the taking!" With the assistance of his variable suit, Krovanh was more than capable of overpowering Artorian, coursing energy across his entire body and knocking the Slayer back onto the ground with a heavy crash.

Krovanh continued his assault however, as the moment Artorian hit the ground he followed and struck his gut with his right fist, causing cracks to form in the ground and the hybrid to cough both spit and blood. Following it with a swift kick, the Hunter knocked Artorian across the entire distance back towards Sakura, the idol staring in shock and fear as he skidded to a stop on his back.

"No!' She shouted as she got up, fighting against her exhaustion to run to him. Due to her fatigue, she was only able to help his sit up, her worry growing as he had more blood escaping his lips. "Please be okay, can you hear me!?"

"Damn, I wasn't knocked out." Artorian winced; both from the pain in his gut and from Sakura's scream. "Don't worry Sakura, I'm still kicking." He'd reassure, placing a hand over hers as he attempted to better get his bearings.

As he looked up though, both him and Sakura were faced with another Hunter. Nesat stared down at the two, completely expressionless as her focus seemed more directly on Artorian rather than the idol. Regardless, he fought against his pain and put himself in front of Sakura to protect her.

"…Hundred On." Artorian flinched as Nesat's eyepatch opened on its own, revealing a golden eye with a slit pupil. The vibrant glow of the eye expanded and in a flash, a sword matching the details of Artorian's formed in her hand, equipping her with the blade.

However, rather than attack the two the girl would turn back to face the Savage, the creature's left limb regenerating. Then with high speed, she rushed right for the beast, half the Slayers barely following her movements before she was right in front of it. The Savage would attempt to strike her, but without even blinking she dodged and jumped high.

Her eyes were set right on the core, and as she focused her golden energy to push her down, she struck the regenerating armor and completely shattered it, the edge of her blade digging into the core. It had not gone through all the way, however with her feet now on the Savage's hull Nesat would shift the sword and place the tip of it into the cut she made.

"…Limit Out." With the single phrase, the glow of her right eye intensified further, and a golden aura of her energy formed around her. And in the next instant she impaled down through the core, the fluorescent liquids shooting up as the Savage collapsed to the ground.

"Who the hell are you…?" Artorian questioned with a groan, attempting to stand up as he stared the girl down.

Nesat would only give him a single glance before turning her attention back to the core. Her eye was still glowing bright, and as she would pull her sword out it was expected she would turn her attention elsewhere. However that was proven wrong as she jabbed the blade back into the edge of the core, more fluids escaping with drops landing on her.

She would then stab it again and again and again, each impalement causing more of the fluids to land on her, each drop glowing bright as she carved the core of the Savage out.

"Wh-what is she doing…?" Sakura muttered in fear, trembling at the sight of the Hunter's actions.

"I don't know… but I have a bad feeling about it." Artorian answered, his stare focused on the girl's right eye. He knew right away that it was the same eye Variants have when they use their powers, which made him certain she was one as well. And in the split second Krovanh had struck him, he saw the same pair of eyes, meaning there were two enemy Variants on the field now.

"Hey, stop it before you hurt yourself!" retia called out. "If you get too much of those fluids on you, you'll be infected and go crazy from the virus!"

Nesat paused her repetitive stabbing to look over top Retia, unconcerned and even expecting of the result. As she demonstrated her apathy by licking some of the Savage fluid off of her hand.

"I said stop!" Retia didn't know anything about the Hunters before her, and even then they had actively attacked one of her comrades without a moment's hesitation. But her instincts to prevent a virus attack kicked in and she'd attempt to run towards the girl to stop her.

"Hey, don't you dare disturb Nesat!" Before Retia could reach her though, the final of the three Hunters appeared, getting between the two with two ring weapons in hand. Retia was unable to dodge as she threw one, hitting her square in the chest and sending her back onto the ground.

"If you know what's good for you, you won't get in her way." Nakri said with a grin, revealing her teeth as she caught the ring when it came back.

"Why you, who do you think you are?" Retia questioned with a glare, coughing from the loss of air but managing to push herself back onto her feet.

"Wouldn't you want to know, Little Garden dog?"

"Oh I'll show you a-!"

"Retia don't!" Matthew shouted, the volume of his voice alone causing Retia to stop cold in her tracks. "She's goading you, she wants you to make the first move. Without your variable suit you won't be able to keep up with her."

"But I can't just-"

"You can and you will!"

"If you won't move, then I guess I'll just have my fun with you now!" Nakri grinned as she threw her rings, Reitia turning back in shock at the weapons approaching. Just before they'd hit though two small lightning shots collided with them, sending them back to the Hunter who caught them.

"Reitia won't be able to match you, but I didn't say I wouldn't." He said with a heated glare, jumping off the ridge onto the leveled ground. When his feet touched the ground, lightning and energy coursed around his body and he launched out at high speeds, surprising the Hunter as he was right in front of her in an instant. "There's more sources of power than energy in this world."

"Kuh!" Nakri would grunt, blocking Matthew's trident with her dual disks, jumping to the side to avoid his follow up attack. However, seeing his movements only caused Nakri's grin to widen, her eyes flashing gold as her energy appeared. "Good I was beginning to think every Slayer was no better than garbage on this stupid island!"

* * *

"What's the matter snow pile!? Having trouble keeping up!?" Krovanh would shout, slashing back and forth at Emilia as she was being pushed back, having replaced her scissors for dual-swords. However even then, the Hunter showed intense speed as she wasn't able to find a single opening, forced to back track constantly in the midst of his barrage.

"Just! Looking! For! An! Opening!" Emilia would grunt with each block, desperately trying to see through his next attack in order to counter him. But no matter what the Hunter just pressed on, not slowing for a second while swinging with deadly efficiency.

"If that's what you're looking for, I got news for ya punk!" He'd respond, hitting with a heavier swing and knocking Emilia's right sword out of her hand. "You won't find one!"

"Tch!" Ignoring the pain in her hand, Emilia would immediately transform the sword knocked away into a canon, surprising Krovanh with a blast to the chest. "You sure about that?" She'd smirk as she lunged forward, bringing her sword forward for an arced strike to his side.

The blade had struck his side, but due to the protective nature of his variable suit it did little more than cause him to stumble a few steps, easily corrected as he shifted his feet into the dirt. "That all?"

"Hardly." Emilia spoke as she held her right hand to the side, both the sword and canon vanishing and forming into a scythe. Gripping it with both hands, she'd look over to Sakura and Artorian, the latter still stunned from the blows he took from Krovanh.

 _'If I don't keep him distracted, he'll go right for Artorian.'_ She'd think, her eyes narrowing in determination as she shifted into a combative stance. _'I have to fight him with enough power to keep him from going after him.'_

"Heh, you've got more spirit then the last few Slayers we took down." Returning the gesture, Krovanh gripped his sword with both hands, holding the blade diagonally as the green energy coming off it brightened his face. "I'll enjoy taking your Hundred off your wounded body."

Lunging towards each other, the two clashed with a flash of mixing energy. Emilia would shift her scythe across the flat of his blade, attempting to wrap her curved weapon around him and end the fight quickly. However as she pulled back the blade stopped when it connected with his back, the Hunter's grin widening as his eyes turned bright gold.

"Nice one, if not very predictable!" When his energy shot out of him into an aura, Emilia realized that the Hunter was a Variant as well, his speed increasing drastically as he slashed forward.

Emilia was able to block with her scythe's pole, however the impact had sent her skidding back onto a single knee several meters back. When she stopped herself, she instantly transformed her scythe into a greatshield, blocking Krovanh's downward swing aimed at her shoulder.

"Come on now, you just started fighting back and now you're going to hide behind a damn shield!?" The Hunter taunted as he swung again, each blow increasing in strength while the girl struggled to keep up, the ground slowly cracking around her as she put all her energy into her defense. "Is this all the dogs of Little Garden can do!? Turtle up and stand like a coward!?"

When Krovanh would bring his blade up for another attack in his seemingly endless barrage, it was knocked off course as Artorian's sword struck the back of it. The Hunter would look back, his eyes wide in anger as the hybrid had managed to raise himself to his feet, panting in pain as he glared in return.

"Back… the fuck off my friend." Artorian growled, planting his feet and shifting his shield back to his left arm.

"Artorian no, you're injured!" Sakura protested, blocking his way and holding her arms out. "You can't fight him, not when you've already taken too many hits!"

"I have to try Sakura!"

"Sakura huh?" Krovanh would mutter, his grin disappearing for a second before returning, his aura growing in size as he focused on the idol. "So not only do you have the Hundred we were after, but you're also our spiritual big sister then?" He'd then turn completely, his Hundred held to his side as he charged his power. "Now that's what I call a find!"

"Artorian, run-!" Emilia attempted to speak up, but was kicked away by Krovanh's enhanced strength, unable to block the impact and getting sent further back.

"Let's see if you're any stronger than us, big sister!" He laughed with twisted humor, lunging at high speed directly for the idol. As the Hunter pursued after Sakura, the idol could only stare in horror. His crazed grin and glowing eyes brought back terrifying images of when she was experimented on, of the frenzy so many of the kids would develop upon being injected. The memories flooding back in caused her to freeze, unable to even think of getting away from her attacker.

But before he reached her, she'd feel herself get pulled back sharply right off her feet. Artorian's shield would collide against the Krovanh's massive weapon. The silver metal only stood against the black blade for a second, shattering from the overwhelming energy. The Hunter's swing still went down, drawing blood and leaving a deep cut across the hybrid's arm.

Krovanh didn't even hesitate as he raised his sword over his head, preparing to finish the Slayer while Artorian extended his arms to his sides. The idol on the ground behind him saw the position he was in, he was extending his body out as much as possible. He wasn't preparing for the attack; he was acting as a shield for her.

 _'No, you can't Artorian…'_ She'd think, time seeming to slow to a crawl as she stared helplessly. The Slayer that had saved the Zwei Islands, the man who risked life and limb not only to protect her, but the past she treasured was staring in the eyes of a wild Variant out for blood. And all she was doing as watching, just like back then.

Just as when she saw kids tear each other apart.

As she saw her one friend in the hell of the facility kill herself because of the pain.

 _"Sing, Sakura."_

 _"Please, don't ever stop."_

 _"You're song was nice… thank you for singing it to Karen."_

Her last thoughts went to the first and last time she saw Artorian before yesterday, tears forming in her eyes as she remembered the injured child pass out from exhaustion. The recollection of the injuries he had then as to now snapped something in Sakura, and a teal aura formed around her as her eyes turned golden.

"STOOOOOOOOOOOP!"

A piercing sound wave went through the entire area as Sakura screamed with all her might, the frequency matching that of a Savage's signal and being registered by all of the Slayers and Hunters. However among the ranks of the Hunters, both Krovanh and Nakri froze, their bodies suddenly locking up at the sound of Sakura's voice.

Both seeing the openings, Artorian and Matthew would swing forward with their free fists, striking the Hunters simultaneously. With their enhanced strength, the hybrids were able to provide more than enough strength to stun the Hunters and send them crashing back to the Regenerator's corpse. Two giant dents would form after they bounced off, the pain snapping them out of their daze and looking back to the two that struck them with heated rage.

"Why you bastards…!" Krovanh grinded his teeth, wiping the spit off his mouth from when he coughed at the blow to his stomach. "I'll make you all pay for hitting my cousin!"

"It's time to flee." Nesat would say, interrupting the two Hunters from continuing their battle and jumping to in between them. In both her hands were the Savage cores, fluids dripping out with her forearms completely stained in the glowing liquid.

"What, you're crazy!" Nakri would argue. "The rest are weal compared to us, we take the gold bastard down and the rest will be powerless to stop us!"

"…She's right." Krovanh would say, although reluctantly as he calmed his posture and stood straight. "The reinforcements from Little Garden will be here soon. We can handle all of these guys, but we shouldn't waste time when we have the two Savage cores already."

"I guess… you're right?' Nakri groaned in defeat, turning back to Matthew with a heated glare. "Next time I see you, I'm kicking both you and your girlfriend's asses!"

"I'm not his girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend."

The two Slayers replied, Retia's much more heated with an accompanying blush while Matthew's was calmed and impassive.

"Let's get going, there's a large source of energy coming at high speed." Krovanh would say, holding his hand out to Nesat. "Sis, toss me one of the cores." The Hunter would simply nod as she threw the larger of two cores to her brother, his eyes glowing gold one last time as he stared at Artorian. "We'll settle this another time. And there I'll kill you."

"Good luck trying." Artorian responded, clutching the cut on his arm as he stared the Hunter down. "Next time you won't have the advantage of your variable suit."

"It won't matter." He'd say, turning away while swiping his blade to the side, the blood on it splattering onto the dirt. "Later, dogs of Little Garden!" And with that said, all three Hunters' auras ignited and they took off to the south, out of sight in a matter of seconds thanks to their speed.

"Damn… punks…!" Artorian grunted in pain as he fell to a knee, the blood from his cut trailing down to his hand and dripping into the soil.

"Artorian!" Emilia would shout as her Hundred disengaged, running to his side and sliding to a stop next to him. "How bad, let me see it!" She'd say, reaching into her uniform's pocket and pulling out a set of bandage wrapping. "This will help with the bleeding a bit."

"Thanks…" He winced as he removed his hand, allowing her to begin wrapping the bandaging tightly across his injury. Luckily Artorian's arm was held horizontally when Krovanh struck him, meaning the cut was much smaller than if it traveled the length of his entire arm.

"Are you okay Ms. Kirishima?" Matthew would ask as he approached the idol, holding his hand down to her as his Hundred deactivated.

"Y-Yeah… I'm fine…" Sakura responded, although she rejected the Slayer's offer to help as she stood on her own. She would look over to Emilia and Artorian, seeing the former help cover up the latter's wound suffered to protect her. "Artorian…"

"Hmm?" He'd hum, both him and Emilia looking back to her as the bandaging was finished being wrapped. "Something wrong Sakura?"

"I'm sorry… it's my fault you were hurt." She would apologize, looking down to the ground in shame to avoid staring at him. "I dragged you out of your personal affairs for my own selfish ones and… and you got hurt protecting me twice now because I wouldn't act in time and I-"

"Okay, I'm stopping you right there." He interrupted, closing his eyes as he sat onto the dirt, getting comfortable as the group waited for Claire and the rest of the reinforcements. "You didn't do shit that resulted in me getting hurt. You fell asleep; I chose to protect you when we crashed. A Savage began to attack; I chose to fight it head on to distract it. A crazed kid with a double-bladed sword rushed you with killer intent, I chose to protect you."

"But if I didn't take you out from the restaurant, then-"

"Then you would've gone to the Great Canyon alone, and this would've been a blood bath." He interrupted again, shaking his head before looking right up to the idol. "Did you interrupt my date with Emile? Yes, but I for one am glad with it if it meant I saved you." He then gave a small smile, the pain on his face fading as he did. "I am a Slayer, I signed on to help Karen and to kill Savage. But if I have to, I will defend the people I care about by punching, biting and kicking. That includes you."

"Artorian I…" The idol's tears would come back, although she'd wipe them away as she looked to him. "Thank you."

"Just keep singing Sakura."

"I will."

.

.

.

"W-Wait, did you say your date with him!?" As the tension in the area went away, the idol's mind suddenly realized the meaning behind Artorian's words. "Y-Y-You mean you w-were, you weren't with a girl but-!"

"Yep, he was with me, relaxing and having a great time." Emilia would say, smirking as she hugged Artorian's uninjured arm. "And if you would believe it, he asked ME out, just so you kn-gh!" Emilia was interrupted as Artorian elbowed her gut, not aiming to hurt her but to keep her from talking.

"You two are ruining the moment." He said with a deadpanned expression. "And by date I wasn't strictly saying anything romantic. Emile and I are not on a dating stand yet due to our limited time together."

"B-But you're still… wait was my advances-!"

"Were adequately enjoyed, and not ignored or thought of less." He responded, giving a subtle wink. "Ball park's an interesting one for me, so the returned fun was just as genuine if it were for Emile."

"Artorian…!" Emilia spoke, pinching Artorian's cheek and pulling it sharply. "And what exactly do you mean by "returned fun". Something I should know about?"

"Ow, damn it Emile let go!"

"Not until I get an answer."

"I don't gotta say shit, I know my rights."

"Your rights are invalid when I'm asking the question, especially after you ditched me."

"…I am very lost right now." Reitia said, unable to figure out the relationship between Artorian and Emile even after knowing them for a rough month now.

"Don't bother, just roll with it." Matthew responded, sighing as he rolled his shoulders.

"I see things have mostly cleared up here." The entire group all turned as they saw Claire fly down from the air, her variable suit on with her Hundred active with her canons floating around her. "I came ahead of Liddy and the others expecting the Savage to still be present, I wasn't aware how close Matthew and the others were."

"Eh, they came quick enough." Artorian said, shaking his head to free himself of Emilia's pinch. "Got changed pretty quick though, I swear I called less than ten minutes ago."

"My teammate and a VIP were both in danger, I came as quickly as I could." She responded, her expression softening as she saw his injuries. "Are you okay?"

"Eh, cut on my arm's the worst part. Nothing more than bruises and a few small burns." He waved her worries, patting dust off of his damage shawl.

"That's good to hear, I was afraid you'd suffer worse before I got here."

"I'm glad you're here too." He'd chuckle, grunting as he'd attempt to stand, planting back down after he did. "Hey can somebody help me? I used to much energy on the Savage and my last punch."

"Really?"

"Not all of us have a mountain of energy to rely on without a variable suit Claire. Bill me."

* * *

 **(A/N): Another chapter, another day being a tired Slayer. Keeping this note short but I enjoyed writing it and had a fun time getting this action sequence down. I hope you all enjoyed reading it and I'll see you next chapter. Peace!**


	14. Concert

"How bad were your injuries?" Claire would ask, her entering the hospital room with Matthew and Erica in toll.

After Claire showed up, the rest of Selections and the few Slayers in the area had all served the role of escorts. Liddy, Reitia and Emilia were sent to bring Artorian back to Little Garden for treatment. Everyone else would serve to get Sakura back to her venue, however her rehearsal was canceled on the grounds of her running through all her energy.

The Abysswalker would've preferred to see the idol back to her hotel room personally, however he lost the vote by a resounding 1-to-everyone saying no. His procedure was much more cut and dry than previous ones, as the extent of his injuries were much more tame compared to his previous ones. He currently had dozens of bandages wrapped around his torso, special medicinal ointments coating the inside to help treat the deep bruises on his chest and back.

"Eh, couple cracked ribs and another scar to decorate my arm. Aside from that, nothing to worry about." Artorian would answer, sitting up on the bed with his legs off the side.

"Ms. Kashiwagi warned the blade had cut right to the bone, he was lucky he kept his arm after the attack." Liddy informed, getting a look of betrayal from the boy.

"I trusted you!"

"Lying about your condition won't help you." She responded, before focusing back on the president. "He isn't in a critical condition, however his injuries are warrant enough to pull him from duels until healed."

"It isn't that bad, Char said he should be fully healed in less than a week." Emilia spoke up, siding with Artorian. "He'll be back to 100% in no time."

"We shouldn't be encouraging this behavior Crossfode." Liddy stated to the white-haired cross-dresser. "He's been a Slayer for a month and has needed recovery for serious injuries three times now."

"To be fair, one of those was because of Claire so…"

"And the other time was for both of you, so let's just leave this out for now." Artorian would speak up, getting the two to look away at the call out. "Anyways, I guess we're not all here to wish me a fast recovery?"

"Yes, Matthew informed me of your encounter with the Hunters; and I can only assume your more pressing injuries were a result from them." Claire would say, looking to his arm, tight bandages around his cut with dozens of stiches underneath to prevent the wound from reopening.

"Yeah, they were crazy strong. I wasn't even able to follow most of their movements." Reitia commented. "And their energy control was ridiculous, the amount they produced so quickly caught me off guard."

"And if there's Hunters like them running around, we need to know everything we can." Erica nodded.

"Well then I can save us a lot of time, I'm pretty sure I have them all nailed down." Artorian commented, rubbing the back of his neck as he felt the muscles tighten.

"You do?" Half the room echoed, looking to the Abysswalker.

"Yeah, it isn't really that difficult to put together with a good look on them. The darkness doesn't really mess with my eyes so I could take in every detail on them, a lot that Matthew likely missed when explained his side of the story."

"Then what is there?"

"They're from Al-Salaam, their physical features match the country's populace to a T. Black hair, black iris, dark skin and surprising resilience for a young age." He'd begin to explain, recalling the small details on each of them. "Although given their builds, they're young and extremely new to combat, probably have been using the Hundreds for a couple months at the most."

"No way, the amount of skill they had and the energy they produced? How could that only be from a few months of training?' Reitia questioned.

"Simple, they're Variants."

"What!?"

"Ow, not so loud, the docs put pain meds in me and my damn ears are sensitive still." Artorian winced at the near collective shouts, only Matthew not reacting at the news.

"Artorian, do you know what you're implying?" Claire asked, looking to the hybrid. "Three Variants attacked you, all in synchronization with a plan and goal. A goal that actively goes against us as targets."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I got the impression when the fucker gut punched me into the ground."

"Are you certain that they were Variants?" Erica asked. "Being one is extremely rare, how could three show up all at once, especially with the amount suspected to be on the world?"

"I can explain that too." Artorian would then turn to Reitia, motioning to Matthew with his shoulder. "He already told you the story behind Variants right?"

"A little, I only know they're developed by Savage fluids entering them right?" The Slayer questioned.

"Does she know about, um…" Emilia would try to ask, having to dodge the verbal response to Matthew by motioning between herself and Artorian.

"No, but I'm guessing there's no point in keeping that a secret anymore." Matthew shrugged, waving Artorian on. "Get on with it, how can you be certain they are Variants?"

"They're not real Variants, at least not like me and Emile." He'd begin to explain, thinking back to the glow in the Hunters' eyes. "They didn't get the fluids in them by Savage directly, not the full stuff anyways. Most likely they were pumped full of it with dilution, a higher chance of surviving the Variant Virus."

"Diluted Savage fluids?" Liddy looked to the hybrid, her expression shocked but her mind fully realizing the meaning. "You're not really thinking…"

"They're artificial, they were created through a process of several injections to synthesis the powers a Variant has." Artorian's eyes turned somber as he recalled Sakura's story, of how the idol watched so many kids go crazy and kill each other. "They're the result of an experiment almost a decade ago to create Variants. And it appears the tests never stopped."

"Impossible, creating Variants like that would be excruciating." Erica spoke with shock. "When it was attempted with rats, they either frenzied and turned into a Savage hybrid or completely rejected it and died from the pain. The testing was stopped on the fears of what it could do to humans."

"Well then it's time to call big brother, because Warslran funded the original testing."

"That's a bold accusation Artorian, I assume you wouldn't state it without evidence." Matthew said, narrowing his eyes to the Abysswalker.

"Vitaly Tynyanov, Warslran's former top scientist and a ruthlessly effective scientist." Artorian dropped the name, looking to the Dragon Slayer with an equally cold stare. "I saw the name a few times in my dad's notes, but a recent… revelation had brought it up again, this time in greater detail."

"Interesting…" Claire muttered, looking to the side for a second. "What exactly was this revelation, did one of the Hunters say something about her?"

"…It's not my place to say." He'd answer. "But I can tell you I have full confidence in what I was told: Vitaly created Artificial Variants and is having them gather Hundreds, Savage cores, and variable stones for her. I'd say that enough would warrant some kind of investigation into her, preferably the kind that ends with her head on a pike."

"A little extreme, don't you think?" Reitia responded, taking a step back at the dark stare she received in return.

"Bitch experimented on kids, I'd gut her if I got the chance."

"I will… look into it." Claire would say, getting the whole room's attention. "I don't know how much Judal would be willing to confine in me, however I will get what I can on Tynyanov."

"Well, it'll at least be a start." He would sigh, his hands tightening into a fist for a second before slacking. He then pushed himself onto his feet, giving a silent grunt at the feeling of the bruising and cracked ribs shifting.

"Hey, hey, don't get up so quickly." Emilia would say, both her and Reitia attempting to guide him back to sitting down.

"You're injuries haven't gone down yet, you shouldn't push yourself suddenly."

"I'm injured, not crippled." He responded to the two. "Besides, I can relax once I get back, my day's not done yet."

"And what exactly could you still have to do?" Liddy questioned.

"I left my dad's sword at a clothing store, I want to go and get it." The Lord answered, walking past the Slayer. But before he could step further, Claire stopped him at her side with a hand to his chest. "What?"

"You were recently targeted by a rouge group of Hunters potentially involved in the Anti-Slayer organization. As per regulations you are not allowed to leave Little Garden unless directly sent on a mission for 48 hours." The president stated, her hand lowering while she turned to him. "Not only that, curfew began two hours ago. You're expected to be back in your room since you don't have official Slayer work and along with any on site jobs."

"You're fucking kidding me right?" Artorian cursed, looking down to the blonde. "I am a 6'5, 200 pound male who can carry a 100 pound sword casually. I don't think curfew is meant to protect someone like me. I can handle walking by myself at night to a fucking store."

"You were defeated swiftly by one Hunter, if the three are still on the island I doubt you'd manage to survive, even with a variable suit on."

"Bullshit, he got a lucky hit. I would rip him apart if I got the chance."

"You are to return to your quarters Artorian, that is an order." Claire stated, the two staring the other down as they remained solid in their views. If it were not for the two's previously established difference in skill and power, the standoff would appear comedic with the height difference.

But without variable suits the fight would be similar to how it was in the duel. Artorian had raw strength against Claire, but the blonde's superior technique and speed could more than make up for the disadvantage. And the tension being sensed from the two left most of the occupants on edge, the personalities of the two appearing to clash once more.

"I'm going to get my sword."

"You will return to your room and rest. Your body takes priority, someone else can go retrieve your blade tomorrow."

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm not taking no for an answ-"

"Artorian…" A quiet and exhausted voice spoke up from just outside the room, the Lord's eyes widening as he looked away from Claire to see Karen in her wheelchair. She was visibly exhausted, barely keeping herself awake as she rubbed one of her eyes.

"Karen, what are you doing up?" The hostility in the room would up and vanish, Artorian quickly going to Karen's side and kneeling down next to her wheelchair. "It's almost midnight, you should've gone to sleep hours ago."

"I read your fortune this morning… saw that there was messages of "battles with a golden iris" and I… I… haaaaaaa…" Karen would tiredly explain, yawning with a tear in her eye as she continued. "I was worried when… you didn't come and visit before I went to bed so I stayed awake…"

"Oh Karen…" Artorian whispered as he wiped the tear off her. "You shouldn't slack on your sleep, it's unhealthy for you to stay up so late." He'd then cup her cheek with his hand, getting the girl to relax as he smiled. "Come on, let's get you back to your room. We wouldn't want to worry Miharu would we?"

"No… but you should rest too." Karen responded, sighing as she felt soothed by Artorian's cool hand. "Sakura's concert is soon and I… don't want you to miss it because of your injuries."

"That's a low blow Karen." Artorian half chuckled, taking his hand off her cheek as he stood up.

"Please…?"

"I wasn't going to say no… if you said something." He'd mutter the last part, going behind Karen's wheelchair to pull her back from the doorway. He paused before leaving, feeling the looks from the others before sighing. "I'm going to get it tomorrow, there's no debating that." He'd then walk off, leaving their sight as he wheeled Karen to her room.

"No matter how much he tries, it seems there's just some things he can't fight against." Erica commented, most of the room smiling at Artorian's protectiveness over Karen.

"Good thing we have Karen around, otherwise we might've had a problem." Emilia laughed a bit, grateful for the girl's timing in helping convince Artorian against leaving Little Garden and potentially starting a fight.

"Would you want me to go and get his sword before he can leave in the morning Claire?" Liddy would ask, offering to retrieve his weapon for him. When Claire didn't initially respond, she would repeat herself. "It shouldn't be a problem if I activate my Hundred, collecting it would only take five minutes."

Once again Claire didn't respond, merely staring at the doorway that the Lord and young girl had left at. Her gaze seemed to be that of evaluation, but hidden in her eyes was the traces of sympathy. She knew of his extreme protection of Karen, but what she saw wasn't the same as the time he incapacitated both Liddy and Emilia from fighting in front of her. This was calm, compassionate and considerate. He wasn't acting like a guardian or protective guard; he seemed no different than a concerned friend.

 _'He almost seems just like…'_ She'd begin to think, looking down for a second before feeling a hand on her shoulder.

"You alright?" Matthew asked, the Slayer standing next to Claire as she looked up to him.

"Yes… I apologize, I was absorbed in my thoughts." She would say, rubbing her eyes for a second before turning to Liddy. "It should be fine Liddy, I'm sure Artorian will at least inform us of when he leaves. If then we can send someone with him when he goes."

"Understood." Liddy responded.

"It's been a long night, I expect all of you to get plenty of rest." The president would say, speaking to everyone. "Emillion."

"Y-Yes ma'am!?" Reitia would stand at attention, slightly nervous at being singled out.

"I had heard from Matthew that you had fought well against the Savage, albeit he reprimanded you as well in regards to falling for the Hunter's goads. While we are meant to stay focused and not allow our thoughts to be clouded, you had assisted Artorian and helped keep Sakura Kirishima safe."

"Ma'am?"

"It's a straight forward attitude and steel will that is needed in Selections. You will be put under observation for a slot to bolster our ranks."

"W-Wait, you mean me? And Selections? That I can actually…?" Reitia would attempt to control herself, although slowly losing her poker face as a small grin was forming.

"Keep your focus sharp and remain prepared, we will evaluate your capabilities once we depart from the Zwei Islands." Claire would inform, finishing as she, Liddy and Erica all walked out of the room.

"Understood ma'am, I won't let you down!" Reitia would salute, waiting until the president was a good distance away before cheering. "Yes, YES! Finally, I have chance to be a part of Selections!"

"Congratulations Reitia!" Emilia grinned, laughing as the girl jumped and cheered.

* * *

"I can't believe I agreed to staying on this stupid boat." Artorian groaned as he walked through the boy's dorm, having tucked Karen back into bed with a kiss on the forehead goodnight. "To think she really stayed up so late." He then smiled, concerned but touched at Karen staying up to wait for him.

 _'What am I going to do about you Karen?'_ Shortly after his thought, Artorian's senses spiked to hyper awareness, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. _'OH what the hell now!?'_ His senses had already gone off twice tonight, and now the third time just had him annoyed rather than concerned as he ran down the hall, following his senses to his own door.

"Whoever the hell's in here I'm warning you, my night has been long and I am NOT in the mood for this!" He'd announce, unlocking the door and kicking it open, entering right away with his guard up. Taking a close look around, he'd use his foot to close the door behind him and stepped further in.

After nearly a minute of looking, the only anomaly he would find was his window; wide open with the ocean breeze blowing in. Closing the window, he would sigh in annoyance at his guard, feeling stupid for being so defensive.

"Maybe I do need to stay here for a bit, getting paranoid over a fucking window." He'd say to himself, locking the opening and turning back to his bed where he paused. "The fuck…" On top of his bed was his father's sword, completely fine and in the same condition as when he left it. He was so focused on finding someone that he had completely missed it, putting his guard back on as he looked to the window.

He remained silent as he looked out, now fully aware there was more going on than him forgetting to close it in the morning. What's more, he felt the faintest trail of energy, almost being able to see the particles subtly fall to the ground as it went from the bed out.

 _'I got your energy pal, hiding will be a lot more difficult in the future.'_ He would think glaring out the window; feeling the trail of energy rise up right after the window.

And on top of the dorm building was a single lone figure, eyes glowing bright green as it stared down the edge of the building. The stare was almost somber, as if the figure was recalling distant memories. The tattered cloak then shifted in the wind for a second, revealing jet-black hair underneath the hood.

 _'Don't lose it again.'_

Turning away from the edge, the figure would correct the positioning of its hood before running off, vanishing into the night as it jumped off the roof.

* * *

"Woooooooow!" Karen's eyes were gleaming with excitement. The day she had been waiting for had finally come, and she could barely contain herself as she was rolled to her spot in the venue's audience section. "We're so close!"

"Artorian stated he wouldn't accept any less than front row sitting for you." Miharu informed, recalling the boy's words to her.

"I can't wait, it's so close I think I could scream!" The girl would cheer, wiggling in her wheelchair in excitement.

"She's really pumped up." Emilia would smile, seeing the girl's excitement. She was currently dressed in her uniform, a necessary precaution she and the members of Little Garden attending were required to do.

"Ever since Sakura started to sing it was her dream to see one of her concerts live." Artorian would say, stepping up with his sword over his shoulder. Unlike the others, Artorian was fully dressed in his variable suit, his variable stone stored in his collar at the ready should it be needed. It was unexpected for something to happen, but as Sakura's guard for the concert he was required to be the most equipped for the night. "This might as well be the best day of her life."

"You're already changed? I thought you wouldn't be on the clock until just before the concert starts."

"Unfortunately, that isn't the case." He would shrug. "I gotta keep an eye on Sakura from now until after it's over. Speaking of which, I should get going now before Claire starts to talk my ear off again about "responsibilities" and junk like that."

"I'm standing right here." The blonde president would say, the student council plus Chris having arrived a few minutes after the bulk of the group.

"And?"

"…Sometimes I don't know what to do with you." She would sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Can you at least promise me you'll take your assignment seriously? It's important that you preform well enough as a representative of Little Garden."

"Told you." He'd whisper back to Emilia, getting a chuckle from her before speaking up. "Sure thing Claire, I'll keep Pinky safe." He'd then walk over to Miharu and Karen, kneeling down next to the latter with a smile. "Remember to sing your heart out, this whole night's for you."

"I can't thank you enough Artorian, I just wish you could be here to enjoy it with me." Karen would smile, getting him to pat her head.

"I wish I could too, but duty calls." He then stood back up, looking over to the nurse. "You'll keep a close eye on her, right?"

"I promise, although I feel the several Slayers that would act as better security is much more reassuring." Miharu would respond, looking to the Selections team all gathered together.

"If you saw how clumsy they are by a pool, you wouldn't be saying that." He'd laugh. "But seriously, I trust you to look after her. She'll be in good hands."

"Of course." Miharu would nod, however she'd take a step towards him and place a hand next to her mouth, whispering quietly. "I have my shifts off in three days at around five."

"Perfect timing then, combat training ends before that and I can wash up to be presentable when I take you out."

"I look forward to it." Miharu would wink, the two stepping away shortly after their silent plan.

"What were you two talking about?" Karen would ask, keeping a close eye on the boy as she appeared measuring.

"Oh nothing Karen, just some adult stuff is all." Artorian would respond, rubbing her head for a second.

"Uh-huh, and what kind of "adult stuff" would that be?" Emilia would add in, the boy now the center of focus for two suspicious girls.

"Unfortunately, that is private between Miharu and I. So I cannot answer that at the moment." He'd then begin to walk off, smirking back to them as he headed for the venue's changing rooms. "Have a nice show ladies, you're all wonderful and I wish I could stay."

"Hrrrmmmmm…!" Both Karen and Emilia pouted, keeping measured gazes on the boy as he walked away.

The action caused Matthew to roll his eyes, shaking his head as he crossed his arms. "This is ridiculous, why did I even come here I don't like pop."

"Because Sakura herself paid for our tickets and invited us for helping Artorian." Matthew scoffed at Reitia's claim, getting the girl to look at him in disappointment. "He did most of the work, help is the right word."

"Yeah, sure."

* * *

"Yo, Sakura." Artorian would call out, knocking on the idol's changing room door. "You're knight in spandex is here to guarantee your safety."

"Just a minute!" He'd hear the idol call from the other side, answering the door soon after to reveal her in her variable suit. "You're here! I'm so glad you managed to make it!"

"Well, guarding you is my job. I'd be rather bad at it if I didn't show up."

"I guess…" The idol's gaze would slowly go down to his arm, seeing the scarred tissue of his wound he received protecting her from the Hunter. "Does it still…?"

"Nah, it's fine. I heal extremely quickly and it fully closed in two days." He informed, holding the injury up more to more clearly show the part of it not hidden by his glove. "My energy also helped at keeping the wound from reopening, so I guess that's a positive too."

"I see, well it makes sense. Nothing less from a pure Variant like you."

"What about you? You lost a lot of energy the last time I saw you." Artorian questioned, his expression sympathetic as he did. "I heard you passed out as soon as you got back to your room, anything that I should know about?"

"I might only be an Artificial Variant, but that still stands to aid in my own recovery." She'd state. "I really only needed a good night's rest and a few meals to get myself back up to 100%, all thanks to you."

"Well that's good, I worked real hard to get the best bribe deal from Claire to get Karen here." The boy would jest, getting the two to laugh quietly. "But seriously, I'm grateful you got the extra tickets so everyone else could come as well. I think Karen will enjoy it more with Miharu and Reitia here."

"What about the others?"

"I'm pretty sure she's jealous of Claire and Emile, that or extremely weary of them."

"Is it because you went on a date with them?"

"I went on a date with Emile, although that's only between us, she doesn't know." He would say, winking to reveal the loosely kept secret. "As for Claire… well, I mean she's a hot blonde. I think Karen feels most threatened by her in regards to my attention."

"And what about me?" Sakura would ask, her cheeks slightly turning red as she looked to the side. "How much of your attention would I take away?"

"When I first met you? Absolutely none at all." Artorian's honest and quick response caused her to flinch, however her body relaxed when he placed a hand on her head. "But I'm glad to say I was wrong about a lot of stuff on you. You'd definitely draw my attention, but I get the feeling Karen wouldn't feel any hostility towards you."

"Thank you…"

"Always willing to make a young maiden's day with a nice remark." He'd then take his hand off her, giving the idol a smile as he looked down to her. "And after this concert, you still have to meet Karen, so make sure to give it your all but save some strength for that."

"I will, I just wish I could stay longer than the time I have." She'd say, getting a tilt of Artorian's head in return. "After the concert's over, I have about an hour before I have to take off for a promotional; recording in Liberia for my next album. And since the amount of cost this concert's been, I'm not entirely in the position to say no and cancel it."

"That's fine, we can work around it." He'd shrug. "We can meet you at the airport if that works best. You two can reunite, learn about each other and say farewell until you come and visit again."

"I… I look forward to it."

"Well, I'll probably need to get into position. Souffle said I had to be backstage by the time you get on and I wouldn't want to take up too much of your time."

"No it's fine, talking to you helped clear up my nervousness I had. Oh, and Artorian?" The idol would speak up as the Slayer would turn to walk away, getting his attention. "Make sure you watch, there's a present for you in the encore."

"I look forward to it."

* * *

"It's starting! It's finally starting!" Karen cheered, barely contained to her wheelchair as the idol revealed herself on the stage.

"I hope you're all ready! Let's all have fun!" Sakura would announce, gripping her variable stone tightly before tossing it into the air. "Hundred On!" As the light shined around her and her Hundred formed, Sakura's variable suit also went under a physical change. The variable fibers altered and shifted, turning into a completely new outfit; the shrine maiden themed get up the idol had in her usual shows and videos.

"Huh, so that's how that outfit's made." Artorian muttered to himself, watching from a catwalk in the backstage. He wasn't visible to anyone below, but he had a good enough view to watch the concert. "Weird how it didn't change though when she showed me it the first time."

"She's able to control when the transformation takes place." The Slayer wouldn't turn as he heard Souffle's voice, keeping his eyes on the idol as her agent walked up to beside him. "How are your ears holding out?"

"Eh, I got some sleep last night so the ringing's pretty low." Artorian shrugged, true to his word still hearing the ringing from Sakura's singing voice, however to a much more manageable degree.

"So you're refreshed again?" He would nod once in return, getting the manager to ask further. "I heard your last time caused a small incident, was it properly contained this time?"

"Yep, I planned it so I got to Charlotte when I was ready. Spent the night in the bottom of Little Garden clamped to a metal table and was only under the Abyss' influence for about… two minutes when I awoke before Karen snapped me back to it."

"How many days does that give you now?"

"About three and a half weeks at most. Longest I've lasted is about 25 days, usually I go to sleep before that but I try to make it as far as I can."

"It's good you've figured out your pattern, it prevents several errors made during the development of the First generation of Slayers."

"Yeah…" Artorian would mutter, his shoulders slacking as he leaned against the catwalk railing. "Souffle I… I wanted to say sorry."

"For what?"

"For what I said about Sakura when we first met." He spoke, watching the idol closely as he reminisced. "I was wrong, I didn't know who she really was and in turn spoke out of turn like I knew everything about her. I've lived my whole life an outcast, I of all people should know better than to judge a book by its cover."

"Well, at least you have you're willing to admit when you were wrong." Souffle would say, watching the concert with a small smile. "I wasn't mad at what you said, but I did feel disappointed that you came to such a harsh conclusion so soon." She would then look to Artorian, her eyes somber as she noted the level of familiarity his face had to his father's. "Did she tell you?"

"…Yes." He said simply.

"I can tell, you have your father's same eyes. The kind that burn with intensity in battle but flicker in the face of others' pain."

"Quite the detailed observation. What, is this gonna be the part where you admit you had deep feelings for my father that you kept hidden for the sake of your research?" The two would share a small chuckle, trying to keep the tone from going down.

"No, your father was too special a case for me to get those kinds of feelings for. But he was a good friend, and a great listener."

"I bet he was."

The two would remain in silence watching Sakura sing; both invisible to the audience while the idol was the center of attention. It was a familiar situation for both, one on instinct and the other from experience.

As the concert was reaching its halfway point, Souffle would notice Artorian's gaze shift to the crowd, focusing on the VIP seating where a girl in a wheelchair was cheering with the brightest smile she's seen.

"Can I assume that one's Karen?"

"Yep, Karen Kisaragi. Childhood friend and the one thing in this world that keeps me sane. Quite the sight huh?"

"You certainly share a similar preference as your father, that's for certain." She'd smile. "She'll do good, she's in good hands."

"I like to think that."

Two hours since the start of the concert would go by, and by then Sakura would have sung twenty songs in total. As she was finishing up the last of her songs, the lights around the idol would die out, the wings of her Hundred dimming to the extent she was completely invisible in the darkness around the stage.

And even then, the spectators were all still cheering, their voices booming as they chanted for an encore. The whole crowd was fueled with passion for the idol's songs, none wanting the night to be over just yet.

"Come on everyone! Raise your voice!" Karen's excitement was beyond containment at this point, her exuberance practically glowing around her as she held a special light up in her cheering.

"Of course, of course." Emilia would smile and laugh, the excitement of Karen bleeding out not only to her but everyone else present in the VIP section. The only one not cheering or showing any energy was Matthew, the hybrid keeping himself quite.

But, he couldn't hide the small smile he had from seeing the youngest of them enjoy the concert.

After a minute of the constant cheers and chanting for an encore, Sakura's wings would begin to brighten. The lights around her remained off as she stepped out from the darkness, her wings illuminating her and the floor around her.

"Everyone, thank you for being patient for the encore. But, could I ask all of you to be quiet for a moment please?" The idol's request was met with instant silence, the crowd waiting on the Oriental Wizard's every word as she spoke.

"I will sing an encore, this will be the first time that I ever sing this song live. On the contrary, it's a song that I had made yesterday, so it might not be made quite to perfection yet…" That would only serve to get the spectators excited, the promise of a completely new song a blessing to them.

"It will be the last song of my next album, I've been thinking constantly on it and how it should flow. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find the complementing tone to it. But, I finally figure it out a few days ago." Sakura would take a deep breath, collecting herself as she would back to the catwalk, sensing Artorian's energy above her before looking back to the crowd.

"The raid of the Savage a month ago and the raid two days ago; I'm dedicating this song to those who fought against such threats in order to protect us."

"…The people who protected us? Is she talking about Artorian?" Karen would ask Miharu, looking back to the nurse.

"I would think, he was present and important to both." Miharu would smile, getting the girl to look back to Sakura.

 _'So he was protecting Sakura when he got hurt…'_

"Well, her I go." Sakura would say to herself, her smile brightening as she looked to the audience. "I hope you all enjoy my song!"

The idol would then begin to sing a harmonious and slow song, each word gentle and warm to both the Slayers and audience alike. Even Artorian above could feel the song's harmony, the ringing balancing it out but the presence of it still there.

 _'Adorable, she made a song for us…'_ He'd think to himself, recalling the promised gift the idol spoke of. It wasn't hard for him to tell that among the lyrics he was the inspiration behind it, hearing of "Noble Knight" and "Wolf" among the actions taken during the raids. It wasn't until the second half the song started that the weight of the song hit him.

 _"And though you walk in a path of fright_

 _My light will guide you back home._

 _Though it may come after hardship and blight_

 _Our future will be forever tranquil."_

 _'Hold the fuck up…'_ That phrase in lyrics struck Artorian in realization, the purpose of the song getting through to him. _'You little… clever piece of cotton candy…'_ He'd think with a somber smile.

As the song came to its peaceful conclusion, the entirety of the crowd would cheer and clap as the concert was coming to its true conclusion. A beautiful song not only to capture the events the islands had endured, but the changes the idol had experienced beside the Abysswalker.

* * *

"So, what did you think about the present?" Sakura would ask, approaching the Slayer.

After the concert ended, those involved in Selections were all transported to the airport on the Zwei Islands to oversee Sakura's departure. Among them, Artorian stood closest to Sakura's car, serving as her main security the moment she would exit her car.

"I'm amazed you came up with such a song so soon." He'd admit, looking down to the idol with a small smile. "I'm not a fan of music, but that's definitely going down as one to remember. Might have to download it when it comes out."

"Hmmm…" Sakura would hum playfully, smiling up to the boy before bringing her hand up, poking his cheek. "90 points, could've made a confession to seal the moment."

"You're a real slave driver." He'd chuckle, getting a playful wink from the idol as the two turned. "Well, are you ready for the awaited moment."

"Yes…" Sakura would say, although taking a deep breath to prepare herself. "I'm ready." After readying herself, Artorian would escort her and Souffle to the group, where Karen was sitting at the front.

"Sakura, I would like to introduce you to Karen Kisaragi." Artorian would say, shocking Karen as he motioned over to her.

"Hi Karen, it's a pleasure to meet you." The idol would smile, holding her hand out to the girl.

"S-S-Sakura it's… it's an honor!" Karen would respond, trying to keep her awe under control as she shook the idol's hand. "I'm you're… I love your songs! They're the most amazing I've ever heard and they've really changed the way I see things."

"Thank you, I'm glad to know they've helped." Sakura would smile, finding the girl's excitement adorable. "Say Karen, can I ask you something?"

"A-Anything!"

"Artorian's told me a bit about you while he was guarding me, and I wish to return the favor for all the hard work he's done. Would you mind if I sang you a song real quick?"

"O-O-Of course! I… I mean if you have the time…" Karen would suddenly get cold feet, getting a chuckle from Artorian.

"Thank you Karen, I'm sure you'll love this one. It's my favorite song." Sakura would then begin to sing the song her mother had made for her, Karen initially simply listening to it before slowly realizing the lyrics and tone.

 _'Wait, this is… this is the same song I…'_ She began to realize, confusion plastered on her face as the idol finished singing.

"Sakura, how do you know that song…?"

"This song was created by my mom." She would reveal, her smile brightening as she looked to Karen. "And I had only ever sung it to two other people. Artorian a few nights ago, and you ten years ago."

"Wh-Wha… there's no way…" Karen would gasp in shock, her eyes widening in surprise at the idea. "Sakura and I… that can't be possible…"

"But it is. I couldn't believe it either at first, when Artorian mentioned he heard my song before it felt impossible. But then he told me about you, and how you would always sing this song. It was then I knew the same Karen he asked to sign an autograph for… was my old friend from before the Second Attack."

"I remember when we were stuck in the shelter, how scared you were when Artorian and Hayato ran back out. I sang to help you stay calm, and thanks to that night I discovered my passion for singing. It's all because of you that I've become the singer I am now, and I can't ever thank you enough for that."

"S-Sakura…"

The idol would then lean down and wrap her arms around Karen in a gentle hug, surprising the girl at the embrace. "Thank you Karen, for having been my friend."

"I… but I… thank you…" Karen would struggle to say, but found her resolve as she returned the embrace.

"Wait… so you knew Sakura back then?" Emilia would ask, shuffling over to Artorian while keeping a narrowed gaze on him. "Why didn't you mention this before?"

"Because I didn't." He whispered, shushing her as the two girls enjoyed their reunion. "Sakura was Karen and Hayato's friend, I never met her. Now shuch up and let them be happy."

"Did you just say "shuch up"?" Emilia responded, although repressed a giggle and quieted down.

"I'm sorry, but we'll have to get going soon." Souffle had to interrupt after a minute, stepping up to Sakura. "I know you don't want to Sakura, but we can't afford to be late."

"Okay Souffle, but just one last thing before then." Sakura would say, her and Karen separating before she pulled out her PDA. "Let's exchange contacts Karen."

"E-Eh? Is… is that okay?" Karen asked, her eyes blinking in surprise.

"Of course it is, I want to be able to be friends with again. And there's a lot of things I want to ask you about."

"Things you want to ask me?"

"Don't go throwing the whole table at her." Artorian would state, although with a laid back tone and smile on his face.

"I know~" She'd wink, sticking her tongue out playfully at him.

The two would then exchange their contact information, both giving one last hug before Sakura and Souffle would begin to walk towards their helicopter. But as she would reach the ramp, Sakura would pause in her step. Having one last thing she'd want to do, the idol would step back from the ramp and run back to Artorian, confusing the Slayer as she stopped just in front of him.

"We didn't get to know each other for very long, but I'm grateful for everything you've done for me Artorian." The idol would say, smiling up to the boy as she held her hand out. "Thank you, truly from the bottom of my heart."

"Hey, it's no problem." He smirked in return. "More exciting than I thought it would be, that's for-!" Artorian was caught off guard as the idol grasped his hand and pulled him forward more. Under most circumstances the idol wouldn't be able to so much as move him, but a quick use of her Variant energy and his lowered guard would give her the opening she needed.

"Chuu~"

"Eh…?"

Having gotten her chance, Sakura planted a gentle kiss on Artorian's cheek, the Abysswalker seeming completely taken aback by the action.

"Wha…!"

"…You!?"

And he wasn't the only one, as both Emilia and Claire voiced their own surprise, surprised by the idol's forwardness.

"E-Eeeeh! S-Sakura… a ki-kiss to… Artorian?" Karen was possibly the most confused, her brain trying to put together how this situation could have happened.

Sakura would then separate from Artorian, letting out a bright smile before running back to the ramp with a spring in her step. The hybrid was left half shocked at the gesture, placing his free hand against the cheek she kissed as he watched her board the helicopter.

"Bye, Artorian! I'm certain that we'll see each other again soon!" Sakura would call out, waving with the brightest smile she ever had before the door closed.

Shaking his shock off, Artorian would grin as he waved the helicopter off, watching as it slowly disappeared from sight. _'Damn Pinky, managed to catch me off guard like that. Well played.'_

* * *

 **(A/N): Another chapter, another step forward to begin an arc that I've been waiting for. Although I must say I've had a lot more fun writing this arc than I was expecting to. And it serves as a good inspiration to keep the story going strong. Not sure when the next chapter may come out, most likely it'll be a bit if my inspiration doesn't come in. Most likely it'll be a type of filler, giving the group a break before the events of Volume 3 take place, with some added guests thrown into the mix as well.**

 **And as a little note, I wanted to say I appreciate everyone enjoying the story so far and leaving their reviews. It always makes me happy to know I'm entertaining my readers, it adds to the enjoyment of writing in the first place. It also serves as a way to encourage better writing from me to make it even better and to think outside the box on new ideas**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and have a good day. Peace!**


	15. Nurse and Knight

"…"

"…"

Artorian and Liddy sat across each other in one of the training arenas, the latter staring intently at the former with a harsh stare. A big red mark was on her forehead, evidence at the fact she's received hits several times over a short period of time.

Artorian on the other hand appeared perfectly fine, his face calm and confident as he stared down his fellow Slayer. "Last one of the evening Liddy, see if you can prove you're adapting correctly."

"I'll show you exactly what I can do." Liddy said, both her and Artorian raising their right hands up and closing them into fists. "I'm going to win this time."

"We'll see…" Artorian grinned. "Ready? One, two, three… GO!" Both then brought their hands down to right in between them, Liddy opening her hand completely as they leveled their limbs out.

 _'No!'_ Liddy's eyes widened in surprise as she saw Artorian's hand, seeing his index and middle finger out in the shape of scissors. She moved as quick as she could to try and grab the helmet that was placed between them, but was bumped on the head by a mallet just short of putting it on.

"Whoops, looks like I win again." The boy would laugh, spinning the mallet's handle in his grip while Liddy shook in annoyance, the helmet still in her grasp. "You've got the reaction speed, but you need to match your body's speed to it. A good start would be trying to clear up your mind."

"How can I manage that when your idea of teaching me to harness the strength I've gotten is… is a kid's game?" Liddy asked, putting the helmet down.

"A simple game is a great starter to learning control. It limits everything to a single point of focus, something you clearly need if the Trenta fight was anything to go by." He answered. "You already had good strength and senses, but your body wasn't able to keep up with them. This lets me get a gauge on how much you need work on."

"Proper sparring would be better."

"True, but I wanted to save that for later. Maybe tomorrow during combat training we can give it a swing."

"We could've done it today but you insisted on this." Liddy argued, crossing her arms under her chest as she looked away. "Teaching me to use the powers I received from the Abyss infecting me with a game, it's utterly humiliating."

"Hey, this is how I started and I'm stuck with it forever." Artorian stated. "Believe me, you'll get more than your workout in when we get serious. But with it removed you still need time to adapt to your new… well, you." He would avoid being exact in his speech, however clearly referencing her increase in height. It was expected to be small, given the usual trend a female Vessel had in the past.

The increase was more than expected however, not unreasonable but four inches would be noticeable as her clothes were now a size too small. Luckily with Charlotte on call, getting the replacements to both her uniform and variable suit was easily swept under the rug.

"You say that, but have us change into our variable suits to amplify our power." Liddy countered.

"Look I'm trying to teach you as fast as I can in a method I had to come up with by myself, not exactly like I had anyone to teach me personally. And besides, we can't go into to intense training just yet, Claire's already riding my ass about stealing you from class for the past two days for our history lessons."

Artorian of course was referring to him having to bring Liddy up to full speed on the history of Lords and required information she would need. Whether she has the Abyss anymore or not, she is officially recognized as his Vessel, which meant she had to know how to properly refer to Lords and understand their culture to prevent… unsavory situations.

"We'll get around to a more professional training soon, I'd wager tomorrow or the day after I'll have a good enough grasp on how much the Abyss enhanced you. Then w can kick it up a notch."

"I understand, it's just still humiliating." Liddy admitted, rubbing her forehead in remembrance of the past two hours. "Either you got me or I wasn't quick enough to get you. I'm a trained Slayer who has over a dozen missions under my belt, I thought I'd be able to keep things even at the least."

"My reflexes are at their sharpest, unless you had a massive speed advantage over me like Claire does you'll have to do a lot in order to break my guard."

"Hello Artorian! Hi Liddy!" Both Slayers turned to see Mei Mei walking out onto the field, holding two bottles of water for the two. "Charlotte told me you were both out here training, so I thought I'd bring some refreshments!" She'd then blink as she saw them sitting across from each other, tilting her head in confusion. "Did I come late?"

"Technically, but not in the way you think." Artorian answered. "There wasn't any intense training." Artorian answered, thanking the cyber-cat maid when she handed him one of the bottles. "Just a little test to see how the Abyss changed Liddy in a safe and contained way."

"With a mallet and helmet?" Mei Mei questioned, giving Liddy her bottle.

"Apparently Yamato has their own unique twist to Rock, Paper, Scissors." Liddy would explain, taking a sip of the water before sighing.

"Oh, you were playing Rock, Paper, Scissors? That sounds fun!"

"Well, it isn't quite just that. See, back home we call it Janken, and yeah it's basically the same as Rock, Paper, Scissors with one small change." He then brought one of his hands down to pat the helmet, chuckling to himself in amusement. "After a round, you have to be quick to either pick up the mallet or helmet. If you won, your goal is to tap the head of the loser before they can get the helmet on. If you get them, you win. If they get the helmet on first, then it ends as a draw."

"Oh wow, that sounds even better!" Mei Mei cheered, getting down next to the two with her tail almost wagging. "Could I give it a try? It sounds really fun!"

"Um… are you sure?" Liddy spoke. "It's not as exciting as it sounds, and it starts to sting after a few times."

"There's nothing wrong with that, just more interesting to try harder." The maid would say, her eyes shinning as she looked to Artorian. "So can we?"

"Sure, why not?" Artorian shrugged. He'd then move the helmet and mallet from between him and Liddy to the middle of him and Mei Mei. "Simple rules; Rock, Paper or Scissors. The moment the winner is found out you go right for the mallet or helmet. And sit just like me, crisscross. Got it?"

"Ya-huh." Mei Mei nodded, sitting down as informed in front of Artorian. Her smile never went away, the cyber-cat maid fidgeting in excitement.

"Okay, ready?" Artorian would ask, raising his hand up, followed shortly by Mei Mei.

"Yep!"

"Alright then. One, two, three… GO!"

Bringing their hands down, it was revealed that Artorian had thrown scissors while Mei Mei had thrown Rock. Seeing the position Artorian would go to grab the helmet, moving with fluid motions.

 ** _*POMP*_**

To both Artorian and Liddy's shock, Mei Mei had moved even faster and bopped him on the head with the mallet, a bright smile on her face as she'd raise both her hands up.

"Yay, I won!"

 _'I…I didn't even register her movements…'_ Artorian thought, looking at the ground in disbelief. Janken had been his earliest method of reaction training; it was how he was able to respond to attacks that would've been otherwise too fast for him to follow. Seeing the posture of the person before an action was vital in predicting their move, and he didn't see the slightest second of preparation for Mei Mei.

Meanwhile, Liddy was unable to process how the maid had easily sped past Artorian's movements. Granted he wasn't the fastest, far from it Liddy was even faster than him. But this was a situation he was familiar with, even when she had won the first half; he was able to react just in time to get the helmet against her. Not to mention the fact the Slayers were in their variable suits, for Mei Mei to keep up required an inhuman amount of speed.

"W-well, quite the good burst there Mei Mei." Artorian stuttered. "I wasn't expecting that from you. But let's see you do that twice now that I got a read on your speed."

"Another round? Fun!" The maid would cheer, placing the mallet back between them as they got ready once more.

"One, two, three… GO!"

* * *

 ** _*POMP*_**

"Yay, I won again!"

"Best five out of nine!"

* * *

 ** _*POMP*_**

"I did it!"

"Beginners luck! Round six!"

* * *

 ** _*POMP*_**

"Wow, I must be really good at this game!"

"We'll see about that, another go!"

* * *

 ** _*POMP*_**

 ** _*POMP*_**

 ** _*POMP*_**

 ** _*POMP*_**

 ** _*POMP*_**

* * *

"I can't believe it." Artorian muttered to himself, looking down as a red mark was present on his forehead. "Eleven rounds, I lost eleven straight rounds. I was literally beaten at my own game."

"This was a lot of fun Artorian, Janken's a great game!" Mei Mei would smile brightly, placing the mallet back down between them as she did.

"Mei Mei… that was… I can't even…" Liddy meanwhile stared in shock at the sight of Artorian's defeat. One felt like pure luck, two was a stretch, but for the maid to win eleven times against the Abysswalker was an undeniable display of talent. She herself could hardly keep up, an active Slayer, but Mei Mei completely trounced Artorian's flawless record.

"Incredible!" Artorian would suddenly shout out, catching Liddy off guard as he reached and grabbed Mei Mei, lifting her up and placing her on his shoulder as he grinned brightly. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new Janken champion! The cyber-cat maid Mei Mei!"

"Yay, I've never been a champion before!" The maid would cheer along, both pumping a fist up with excitement on their faces.

"You're… okay with that?" Liddy slowly asked, noting the uncharacteristic amount of enthusiasm Artorian had despite having been defeated so thoroughly in a competition.

"I mean it is just a game." Artorian responded, turning to Liddy and placing his spare hand on his waist. "Sure, it was my early stage of training, but Janken's a common game all the same. I lose, then the person across me was just better. It's no different than my fight with Claire; I lost fair and square, Mei Mei won and I lost. End of story."

"Oh, I just kind of thought… with how you are I was expecting… you know what never mind."

"Do I actually come off as that petty?" Artorian asked, recalling Matthew's own claim on his pettiness. "You know what, whatever. I don't have much time left anymore as it is." Artorian would say as he put Mei Mei back down on her feet, looking to one of his energy rings to see the time. "A little later than I was hoping, but this shouldn't be a problem."

"Do you have something planned?" Mei Mei asked.

"Yeah, got someone to meet with for dinner." He answered, kicking his sword up from the ground and catching it, turning back to Liddy as the Slayer stood up. "Sorry if the first day of training was disappointing, didn't want to push too much on you considering you're still new to this whole Lord thing."

"I appreciate the concern, but you don't need to worry about me." Liddy would say, looking over to the hybrid. "I'll adapt to this quickly, I just need to get as strong as possible quickly. This boost in power won't matter if I can't harness it."

"Remember, there's still physical changes that could happen to you. Your height was just the start, I don't expect anything drastic but I'd rather not take the risk." Artorian responded. "We'll take it serious tomorrow, but keep me updated on anything that may come up in the next two weeks."

"Understood."

"I'm serious, anything and everything. Change in eating habits, subtle muscle alterations, altered pigments in skin, hair or eyes, further development in breasts and ass, increase in libido."

"Y-You throw in jokes now!?" Liddy would shout, her cheeks dusted red at his last two comments.

"Well of course…" He'd chuckle, grinning to himself in view of Liddy before turning and cringing to himself. "…Jokes are fun."

* * *

 _'Room 282, this is the place.'_ Artorian thought, knocking on the door. He'd only wait out of the room for a few seconds before it was answered by a young woman in a doctor's uniform.

"Hello, is Miharu here?" Artorian would ask.

"Ah, you must be that boy Artorian she brought up." The woman spoke, nodding as she did. "Yes, Miharu's here. She just got back from her shift and is changing up for your little date."

"Oh, I'm a little early then. Sorry if this is a bit of an inconvenience."

"Oh no, it isn't like that. You're talking to medical staff, being early is much better than being late." The woman would laugh before turning to look in the room. "Oh Miharu! Your boyfriend is here to pick you up!"

"I'll be out in a second!"

Hearing the nurse respond, Artorian would take the opportunity to look in the two's room. For the most part it was similar to his own dorm room, albeit a little smaller in comparison. There were a few added decorations as well, but nothing much to be eye opening like he would expect.

"I'm sorry, but I'm actually going to need to get going." The woman at the door said, getting Artorian's attention. "My shift's starting soon and it looks to be a busy night."

"Oh, sorry." He would respond, moving out of the way to give her an opening.

"It's no trouble." She said, turning back to the door before she would walk out. "Be sure to enjoy yourself Miharu!" The woman would then close the door and walk off, leaving Artorian to stand by himself for another minute before Miharu walked out.

"Sorry if I took awhile, I wasn't expecting you to be so well on time." Miharu would admit, the nurse wearing a pair of jeans and a sweater over her shirt, giving the hybrid his first look of her without her usual uniform.

"A knight never keeps a fair lady waiting." Artorian responded, giving a teasing bow before holding his hand out to her. "So, shall we begin our magical night? One that starts with a rather average restaurant per the lady's request?"

"Fufu, such a gentleman." Miharu would laugh; placing her hand over his in a mock of the royal gesture he was playing on. "Well then, Sir Knight, I am yours for the night then."

"Such responsibility, I'll be sure to keep myself prepared for anything." The two would chuckle at their own little joke, heading out of the medical staff's apartment complex to head in towards Central.

"How's your injury holding up?" Miharu would ask as they walked, looking over to the Lord.

"Right as rain, arm's back to 100%... again." He would pause for a second, remembering the extent of damage his arms had taken over the course of the past month alone. "Bruises are still there, but they're fading pretty quickly. And the cut on my cheek didn't even leave a scar."

"I still feel wary on your supposed advanced healing, but I cannot deny you certainly recover more than the average person." The nurse would sigh, smiling up to him in relief. "Both physically and mentally; most people would likely take a few steps back after getting as many injuries as you have."

"Good thing I'm not most people then."

"You certainly aren't."

"Thanks."

.

.

.

"Heeeeey."

"Fufu."

* * *

"So Tabemono was the place you had in mind?" Miharu would say, both her and Artorian sitting down at a booth on the far side of the restaurant.

"Well I would have preferred to bring you to this nice Wenz restaurant, but you said to go with a more casual place." Artorian responded, placing his sword out of the way as they opened their menus. "And since we departed from the Zwei Islands a few days ago, this seemed like a good idea. Not a fan?"

"No, not at all. I've just never had Yamato food before, I have no idea what to get." The nurse would say, looking at the options to eat.

"Really? Well then I guess I'll just have to properly introduce you with some more authentic Yamato cuisine. I don't know about being the perfect cook, but I make some mean meals when I have the right recipe."

"Smooth opening to offer a second date."

"Thanks, I try."

The two would wait until their waiter came to take their order. Artorian went with a more simple meal, having noodles with fried rice and shrimp; while Miharu went with scallops and a side of rice. Idle chat was spoken between the two before their food came, the waiter making sure everything was correct before leaving.

Artorian would then pick up a set of chopsticks and put his hands together in appreciation for the meal. "Thank you for the meal." He'd say traditionally before flipping the chopsticks and taking a shrimp.

Miharu on the other hand appeared somewhat unfamiliar with chopsticks, fiddling with the two sticks as she tried to find the right grip. Seeing the nurse's trouble, Artorian would put his food down and hold his chopsticks in a more simple position, open to view.

"It's a little difficult at first, but it's honestly easier than you would expect." The Slayer would note, seeing the nurse slowly shift the chopsticks to match his grip before nodding.

"So… like this?" She would ask, holding the sticks loosely in the correct position.

"Yep, just like that. Now you just close them slowly, like so…" Artorian would then pick up the piece of shrimp he had earlier, demonstrating how to hold the food properly. She would follow shortly, picking up one of her scallops shakily. "There you go, all that's left is to eat and you're good."

The two would both bring their food up and take a bite, the Slayer watching with a satisfied smile as the nurse was able to take a bite out of her scallop. "Congratulations, you are officially a chopstick novice."

"A little more shaky than I'd like, but I'll admit it feels entertaining to eat like this." Miharu would giggle in response, looking up to the Slayer.

"I always think it does." He'd chuckle in return.

"…So, who was your roommate?" Artorian would ask after a minute of eating, sparking up a conversation.

"My, my, asking about another girl while on a date? How rude of you Artorian." Miharu would tease, getting a smirk from him.

"I've been caught, I'm nothing but a pure degenerate looking to get with as many women as possible." He'd joke, getting a laugh from Miharu. "So then, anything? You two seemed to get along really well."

"She's Kaede Zarca, an old friend of mine. We met back during middle school and went to university together." She'd explain, smiling fondly at the memories. "She's been my best friend since we met, we shared a lot of similar interests. And she inspired me to go into the medical field, helping me and even developing a passion for it as well."

"Sounds like a great friend." Artorian would say, getting a nod from the nurse.

"There isn't anyone I trust more than her, it's why I asked her to cover for me in taking care of Karen." Miharu would inform. "There's a few collogues that I feel are more than capable, but she's one of two that I feel I can trusts with her safety."

"If you trust her, then I feel confident that Karen will be treated just fine." Artorian would then pause, putting his food down as he looked to Miharu. "Speaking of Karen, I remember you saying something about her condition in the last checkup?"

"Oh yes, Karen's condition during therapy. She's been doing surprisingly well for someone her age dealing with Severance. The procedures are doing wonders, her recovery's better than initially expected. She may even be able to start therapy to walk again, although it may be a year or two before she can walk around for longer than an hour."

"You're kidding, she's doing that well!?" Artorian asked with excitement, a grateful grin on his face. "That's incredible, I never would've thought she was doing so well."

"It's certainly impressive, such a small girl has so much strength to her." Miharu would smile, seeing the happiness on the hybrid.

"She's a surprising fighter, it isn't every day you see someone like her have so much spirit."

"With someone like you watching over her, it's hardly surprising."

"Maybe, but I'd say my influence wasn't that great. I just look after her, she became the person she is by herself."

"You're too hard on yourself, Karen talks all the time about how you helped her. It's very sweet how much she admires you."

"Yeah, but you're the one helping her the most nowadays. In ways I never could." Artorian smiled, resting his cheek on his palm as he looked to the nurse. "Both helping her recover, but even keeping an eye out on others. This date alone really can't make up for that."

"I've had plenty of patients with requests of similar standards, but I feel yours is under different reasons." Miharu stated. "I don't know what you feel against Judal, but I trust your goals first and foremost are protecting Karen. Therefor I have no reason to doubt your intentions."

"Hehe, not every day people tell me they trust me like that. Or I have just a more laid back conversation like this." The Lord would comment, picking back up his chopsticks. "But that isn't here nor there, we've talked enough about me for this meal. I want to know more about the astonishing and beautiful Nurse Miharu Kashiwagi."

"Oh, I'm sure my story is hardly of anything interesting. Certainly nothing a Slayer who fights Savage would find entertaining."

"Nonsense, a woman of your talents has to have more to her than simply a little story of her meeting her best friend."

"Well, if you really want to know." Miharu would smile, finding his curiosity adorable. "I grew up in the capital of Liberia…"

* * *

"I must say, it's been awhile since we've been able to talk in person." Charlotte would say, sitting across a large man with a coffee in hand.

"Yes well, my situation makes things a little difficult to leave often." The man chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. The man appeared to be in his mid forties with ragged brown hair and eyes. There were scars all across his face and arm, all with varying degree of depth and size.

But the most drawing sight to the man was the loss of his limbs, both his legs gone from his knees down and the entirety of his left arm missing. And even despite that, he appeared to have an impressive physic similar to that of what would be seen on brawler Slayers currently. "You wouldn't believe how much Fiona hates me leaving the house without her."

"Even with all that power, she still gets worried someone might try something on you?" The doctor would chuckle.

"Well, a wheelchair bound veteran normally is suspected to be easy pickings." The man nodded. "Even with my special indicators on my wheelchair, I'm sure most people who were desperate would pray on a man such as I."

"Only most people aren't the legendary Dragon Slayer Ornstein, are they?" Charlotte countered. "Unlike them, you can shoot lightning out of your fingertips as naturally as breathing."

"That is true, although my lightning certainly doesn't have the same impact as it used to." Ornstein laughed, picking up his coffee as he continued to chuckle. "They always said I would notice getting older, but I always assumed they meant something else."

"Considering you have six kids, I can guess they were wrong?"

"Yeah, little runts just pop out sometimes I swear." Ornstein spoke before taking a sip of his drink, putting it down shortly after. "Speaking of, how's the biggest of the litter doing? Cause any scenes yet? Vow to demolish the Savage's entire species in defense of humanity? Finally ask out that cute brunette he's been around with for years?"

"None unfortunately, Matthew has been rather tame so far." Charlotte informed, getting Ornstein to snap his fingers in joking disappointment. "Although he did come close twice to preforming a few stunts; threatening Liddy and nearly attacking Artorian should he have not regained control coming to mind."

"Well… he's determined in his work." Ornstein said, sighing as he did. "Makes me wish I didn't lose my limbs when he was growing up."

"I could always make you new ones, it'd only take two weeks with my schedule."

"A little late, but I would've still said no." The Lord declined. "I lost, as simple as that. Replacing them doesn't do much, and I doubt it would've been the message he needed growing up either."

"He's still an excellent young man, reminds me of what you were like when we first met."

"Gods don't scare me like that. I'd hope he would be better given him growing up with Reitia." The man would sigh. "He's very back and forth, so I guess I can see that much anyways."

"And he's popular, if he doesn't have your moral compass he'd be able to help with repopulation in a heartbeat with a section of the Little Garden students."

"That's the Lord in him, Gods Fiona never shuts up about that."

"Can't blame her, I'm pretty sure a chunk of Artorias' Vessels were more than interested in you."

"You two made my life hell with those meetings, I swear it's like you wanted Fiona to get mad at me after every batch of Slayers was made. Although I'll admit… it was more fun when the two of you together were causing problems."

The two would share a silent smile, recalling Artorias fondly in their earlier days in Warslran. And as a sign of respect for their old comrade, they remained quiet while holding their drinks up, tapping them together at the base of the cups.

"I take it his cub causes a similar level of problems for everyone around him as well?"

"Surprisingly, he's the one getting caught in everyone else's stunts. Has Matthew told you about what happened his first week in Little Garden?"

"No, he hasn't." Ornstein smirked, leaning forward in eagerness. "I need to hear the juicy divine justice on Artorias' spawn."

The two would remain at the table for an hour, either talking of stories of the next generation or recalling old tales from their time in the pilot seats. A short but much needed reunion between the two after almost six years of near zero contact with each other.

"It was nice seeing you again Charlotte, I'm glad we were able to do this." Ornstein would say, pushing on his wheelchair's joystick to keep next to the short doctor.

"I am too, after seeing Souffle again I couldn't remember the last time we met." Charlotte stated, pulling out a lollipop from her pocket and plucking it in.

"That's what you used to break your habit?" Ornstein asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"Hey, it isn't easy dropping habits for humans like it is for Lords. And it's a lot better carrying these than a lighter with me, so I see no problem with it." The doctor said, looking away with her eyes closed.

"Hehe, you certainly don't help argue against your childish appearance, that's for sure." The Dragon Slayer would then sigh, the two stopping at a crosswalk. "A shame you can't stay, I'm sure the runts would love to meet you."

"I would too, it isn't often I can see the next generation outside of work. Unfortunately duty calls and I have to get back to my lab as soon as possible." Charlotte explained. "Which means I can officially nap on the plane ride back to Little Garden."

"Just sleeping like a normal person works too you know." Ornstein chuckled. "Be careful out there Charlotte. I know you're usually in the lab safe and sound, but it is Artorias' kid we're talking about. His power's going to attract some dangerous competitors, those Hunters are going to be the least of his problems soon."

"Know something I don't?"

"Just… keep an eye on the news. Some of the Anti-Slayer organizations are being destroyed or merging, like someone's cleaning house and organizing what's left. They weren't a serious threat because of how small each one was, but a source of mine said something less than ideal."

"I see… you think one of them is behind it?"

"The Scorned wouldn't bother with regular humans, it has to be." Ornstein concluded. "Charlotte you know what one alone can do, if those two clash at any point it won't end well."

"Artorian's young, I'm afraid it won't be as bad as you suspect." The doctor responded, pulling her candy out as she looked back to the Lord. "If it is one, then we'll have to hope his teammates will be enough to back him up when they meet."

"I suppose so…" Ornstein sighed. "It'll mark a dark day for humans and Lords alike if his power is lost."

"He's too much like his father to allow that to happen."

"Yeah, well if only he was at least remotely cautious like his mother."

"Says the guy who lost both his legs and an arm fighting three dozen Savage and a-"

"Okay, okay, I get it. Gods woman, you hit low."

"I worked with Artorias closely, I had to learn how to knock you Lords down a few pegs or the pride would replace all the air in the room."

"Ouch."

* * *

"Mmmhhhmmmm… this is good." Miharu would sigh with content. After dinner, the two would continue on with their date sight seeing the rest of the battleship's districts, lading them to East district and sit at one of the parks created to allow a feeling of nature for the passengers.

"It has a nice appeal to it, doesn't it?" Artorian would ask rhetorically, seeing the nurse relax. Shortly after reaching the park, the Lord saw a familiar stand that sold flavored shaved ice. A quick convincing later and the Lord were able to buy two cups for them to enjoy while sitting on a bench in the park.

"I still feel bad for making you pay for them, I agreed to dinner but you didn't have to pay on your own."

"It's proper responsibility." Artorian said, taking a bite of his own blackberry ice with a plastic spoon. "I asked you out, pressured you into it on owing you, and you said yes. So I should at the very least pay for anything we get while we're out."

"Maybe, but after working for so long I feel a bit of guilt for just accepting this. You understand what I mean, don't you?"

"Yeah, I get it. It feels weird having someone just treat you when you spend a couple years focusing on providing for yourself." Artorian shrugged. "I hate being given stuff on most circumstances, but I also know sometimes being given something can be nice."

"The VIP tickets for Sakura's concert?"

"Yeah, it was nice knowing Karen would have plenty of friendly faces around her." Th hybrid smiled, his own shoulders relaxing as he looked out to the horizon, seeing the sun slowly go down towards the edge of his vision. "And she liked it too, she enjoyed getting to experience her first concert with you, Emile and Reitia; hell I bet she liked having the student council there, but I doubt she'll admit it."

"She does seem to be quite the jealous type." Miharu would giggle. "You certainly push her limits with the amount of women you surround yourself with. How many now can you say you've gotten to know since you got to Little Garden?"

"I don't know, four?"

"That's a lie and you know it."

"Ah-ah, not entirely." Artorian would tsk, wagging his finger with a grin. "True, I've met multiple women, but you asked how many have I gotten to know. So far I've gotten to know you, Sakura, Liddy and a tiny bit on Mei Mei. I know very little on Claire, Erica and Reitia, even less on the rest of my classmates. So while I know them, I don't "know" them."

"There's a difference for you?"

"There's a massive difference." Artorian would chuckle, taking another bite out of his ice. "I may come off as a casanova and flirt, and I am, but I do have a level of standards I keep myself to. It'd be too easy for me to act as… let's say, a generic anime protagonist for a sexy anime. I could be a complete klutz and act as a real stand up guy who fights for all the right reasons, or I could be a total pervert who has a certain naïve charm to him that would make him easier to be interested in. Or even, Gods forbid, an edge lord to be mysterious."

"But I'm none, I'm my own person and I act as I wish to. So while I'm more than interested in the female body, I keep myself to the standard of getting to know the women in my life. I have a decent understanding on Sakura and Liddy, less on the latter but I know more than the others around me. And now thanks to today, I know you better as well."

"You're a rather interesting boy, to say the least." Miharu smiled. "There's more than a few men who would use a situation of being in a profession where many die young to enjoy themselves. Many other academies have those situations, with even countries like Rasiya encouraging it in order to stabilize the population size."

"Well, can't just walk in to visit Karen with a new girl every week can I?" Artorian asked with a grin, rubbing the back of his head. "What kind of message would I send her?"

"Yes, it would look bad." The nurse would say, looking down to her ice in silence, appearing deep in thought.

"Miharu? Something wrong?" Artorian would ask, noticing the nurse's stare. "Did I… say the wrong thing? Maybe I could've worded my view on relationships in a better way, thinking on it now I probably sounded like a creep."

"No, it isn't that, although you could use work on the explanation still." Miharu said. "No, it's more thinking back on the past couple weeks. You visited Karen every single day, whether in the morning or at night you'd make sure to see her at last once."

"I mean… of course?" Artorian responded with a raised eyebrow, confused at the comment.

"Artorian, I have been in the medical field for a few years, as you know I took more than a few courses that had me working directly in state hospitals all over Liberia. And in all of them, none of my patients had someone like you. I've treated conditions like Severance to Schizophrenia, work accidents to car crashes, I've seen more than my fair share of people who had to be treated in a hospital for extended periods of time. But not one of them, not one, had someone who had someone visit every day."

"I've had many patients with family who may visit only once a week or only when they first could after they were applied in. Some even were never visited and were left with a phone call. I realize this seems small in comparison to some of the conditions they would have, but you would be surprised how much something as small as a visit could help someone."

"Karen talks about you all the time, how you always look out for her and visited her every single day when you were in Yamato." As she spoke, the nurse would turn her gaze back to the Lord, her eyes reflecting a professional who's seen the worst in her profession. "Artorian, you could have easily just had her treated, or even focus on yourself, I know for certain treating her for years would have destroyed whatever finances you had. I just want to know… why have you gone so far to protect her future for ten years?"

Hearing her question, it was Artorian's turn to look down to his ice, picking up his spoon to poke at the slowly melting treat as he contemplated on how to answer. It was easy for him to think on it, but the weight of the answer alone had him pause on giving it out. Her question hit right into who he was, reasoning the spans farther than even his drive to stay alive.

It would be no different than asking someone what the meaning of life was. It defined him, more importantly it created the person who he was. It was his everything; the spark that lit the flame of his soul and drove him to be whatever was needed of him.

"Not here…" He'd say silently, slowly looking up and to the side as he did.

"I'm sorry if I… no I shouldn't have asked in any capacity." Miharu responded, looking away in guilt. "It was inappropriate of me to ask when we barely know each other, simply knowing each other for a few weeks is hardly reasonable in order to reveal something so personal."

"No, not as in not now. I mean just not here." Artorian would say, standing up and grabbing his sword that he placed next to the bench. "I'd rather take this somewhere else, outside of the ears of the public."

"Are you sure?" Miharu asked, appearing concerned at the sight of Artorian's eyes staring distant into the sky. "You don't have to say anything, it was a question I shouldn't had even asked."

"No, it's only fair." He'd say, looking back to her with a smile. "You're putting your own safety on the line for Karen, it's only fair I tell you why I do this." He'd then hold his hand out to her, offering to help her up. "I'll warn you though, you'll probably look at me in a different light, probably with a mocking laugh and pointing at every sight."

"You think so little of me." Miharu responded, accepting his hand and standing up with his assistance.

* * *

 **(A/N): And another chapter completed. Not going to entirely lie, I'm a bit of a mixed bag on this chapter. Early on went well but I struggled a bit with the date, although I tried to make it as natural as possible, seeing as Miharu is possibly the most normal person in Hundred so there wouldn't be the same level of information as bing with characters like Emilia, Sakura or Claire that I could do. I also tried to avoid info dumping as much as possible, not wanting to have this filler chapter be a set up for more future events.**

 **Although ironically that's led to the filler chapter planned for the layover into the next chapter to be filler chapters. I wanted to make this chapter longer, but as stated before I didn't want another info dump and felt what comes next would be better presented as showing rather than Artorian just explaining it, so it'll need more space than what I feel would be appropriate to add into this chapter. I'm also excited for it, as while I enjoy giving everyone more depth and development in this series, I really enjoy the dynamic I have for the hybrid and Karen. It's not anything ground breaking, but I love the way I write them, it's a personal enjoyment for me.**

 **And of course I also had fun writing most of the interactions put in this chapter alone, which gets me excited as well for the future when i can go further in depth on other characters and bring more up. A perk of the canon series missing the mark on certain plot points means I have free reign to set them as I'd like, giving me more freedom to work unsolved problems or unimportant subplots and make them actually something relevant.**

 **This note's gotten rather long, but I really wanted to get some of that out as I took a bit of a break writing this chapter and might take a bit of another one for the next. Not that I'm growing bored, on the contrary I've come up with a few more arcs in the layover of writing this chapter. But I just don't want to pump so many out it loses some of its enjoyment. As always I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope to see you in the next one. Peace!**


	16. To Protect Her Smile

"Here, this should be far enough from prying ears." Artorian would say, opening a door for the nurse.

Stepping out, Miharu took note of how they were at the top of the tower on Little Garden, an unofficial crow's nest for the vessel. There were safety railings in place, but it was clearly not meant to have visitors up to see. Especially with Artorian requiring his Selections identification to get past the security checks.

"So high…" The nurse would mutter, stepping up to the rails as she looked out to the endless ocean.

"Afraid of heights?" Artorian asked, placing his sword against the door before walking next to her.

"No, I've just never been so high without being in a plane before." She said, closing her eyes to feel the breeze. "It's so freeing, seeing so far and feeling the wind like this."

"Guess keeping yourself holed up in a hospital would make someone feel like that." He'd say, taking a second to look down before shifting his gaze up immediately. "I'm not a huge fan myself, falling's a little too common for someone like me when there's a long drop like this."

"Aw, well don't worry Artorian. I'll hold your hand if it makes you feel better."

"Very funny." The two would laugh, relaxing as they leaned against the railing.

After a minute of looking out, Artorian would clos his eyes and sigh, steeling himself for what would come next. "So then, you wanted to know why I'm always looking after Karen?"

"You don't need to answer if you don't want to." Miharu responded, looking to the hybrid in concern. "It's clearly personal to you, you shouldn't force yourself to tell me if you'd rather keep it to yourself."

"No, it's only fair after you told me so much about yourself." He'd say, turning to rest his waist against the railing as he looked up. "Now where to begin? I guess going from the beginning would be the best, no point trying to dodge that short story. So yeah, we'll start roughly sixteen years ago."

* * *

"Daddy, where are we?" A young Artorian would ask, rubbing his eye tiredly as he was sitting on Artorias' shoulders.

"We're at the hospital Artorian, something special had happened." Artorias responded, looking over his shoulder to his son. "Hayato's mom and dad had another kid, apparently a little girl."

"Hayato's a… brother?" The boy would ask, sounding awkward on the word rather than the implication on it.

"Yes, he's a brother now. You've been paying attention to our classes."

"Then why are we… here?"

"Because Mr. and Mrs. Kisaragi are close friends, and as close friends we need to show our support and meet their new kid." The Lord answered, occasionally bending down to avoid Artorian hitting his head on a light. "Besides, don't you want to meet her?"

"I'm tired, couldn't we just do it tomorrow?" Artorian yawned; barely keeping his eyes open with how late it was.

"We could, but there's no point in pushing something back when you can do it today." Artorias countered. "It would be rude for us to simply wait for tomorrow when they invited us today."

"But it's soooo late."

"Oh I see, when we're home you want to stay up all night. But when we're somewhere else you'd rather go to bed."

"Daaaaddy!"

"Hehe, I'm just pulling your leg. Besides, we're already here." Artorias would say, opening the door to Hamaki's hospital room. Upon opening it, Artorian's eyes would squint, trying to see everyone who was in there. He saw Hayato first, the one-year-old sleeping soundly in the chair next to his dad who remained wide-awake.

"Artorias, you made it." Hamaki would say, looking up from her arms to see the Lord enter.

"I came as quick as the cub here would let me." Artorias said, grabbing Artorian and helping bring him down to the floor. "I would've wanted to come sooner, but I was in the middle of an inspection with Charlotte."

"Of course, we understand." Matsuda responded, smiling at the Lord while the hybrid rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Hey there Artorian, you still with us big guy?"

"I'm here…" He half whined as he yawned, looking up to Matsuda. "Daddy woke me up, and he wouldn't let me sleep on the drive here."

"Well, that's just rude of him." Hamaki giggled, looking to the Lord. "You have no shame Artorias, waking your little cub so late into the night."

"Couldn't have him miss this, he'd hold it over me if he did." Artorias would then gently hold onto Artorian's hand and help guide him to Hamaki's bed, grabbing another chair for his kid to sit up on. He then looked to Hamaki, seeing the newborn baby cradled gently in her arms. "So what's her name?"

"Karen." Matsuda answered, looking over to his newborn daughter.

"A beautiful name for such a sweet girl. Don't you think so Artorian?" The Lord would ask his son, looking down to the boy as he took a look at the girl.

"She looks… squishy." The boy stated, saying what first came to mind in regards to Karen's appearance.

"And she is, she wasn't born that long ago." Hamaki would giggle, seeing the boy take a closer look. "Many girls are squishy when they are born, and they can be like that for some time."

"Isn't that a bad thing?" Artorian asked, looking to the woman. "If she's squishy, can't she be hurt bad?"

"That just means you'll have to protect her." Matsuda responded, shifting over a bit so that Artorian could get closer. "She has Hayato, but you're the oldest of you three. Which means it's up to you to be the brave one and keep them safe."

"Keep them safe…" Artorian muttered as he looked closely at Karen, appearing confused at the girl's face and bringing a finger up to poke her cheek. "But she's just so… so squishy."

At his poke, Karen's eyelids twitched, almost opening as she slowly woke up. The three adults flinched in panic as the girl would begin to sob, on the verge of crying from being woken up.

However as she opened her eyes Artorian would be staring back, icy blue meeting bright violet. And where Artorian stared in curiosity and confusion, Karen stared back in fascination.

The little girl would then reach her small hand out, wrapping it around the finger he used to poke her with and began to giggle. The hybrid's eyes widened in captivation, the sound of the baby's gentle voice and bright smile enthralling his attention. He remained almost perfectly still as the Karen continued to giggle and smile, a solemn vow going through Artorian's head as he looked to her.

 _'I... I want to hear that laugh more.'_ He'd think, making a promise to himself while the adults in the room smiled at the scene.

* * *

"Hold still Artorian." Artorias would say, putting a bandage patch onto his son's cheek.

"Ow!" The boy would wince in pain, the bruise on his cheek sensitive from when he got it. It had been four years since Karen was born, the hybrid now at the age of six with his features appearing more defined, the most notable his eyes as the once ice blue turned several shades darker.

"I know it hurts, but that's what happens when you pick fights like that." Artorias scolded as he finished patching the bruise up. "You're only six, but you should know better than to try and fight three other kids at once."

"But they were picking on Karen." Artorian argued, looking down as he did.

"Then why didn't you get Hayato? If there was two of you, the bullies would have left without causing any trouble."

"Because they wouldn't leave her alone. It's like that thing you tell me, No-boss Ogorge. I couldn't just wait when I was able to help."

"Noblesse Oblige, but your heart's in the right place." Artorias chuckled, poking his son's chest. "And that means you have to be willing to help everyone, having power means you must protect those who don't have it. So while you were in the right for helping Karen, you weren't when you fought those bullies."

"I don't want to help them, they were mean to Karen!" Artorian shouted. "They didn't care about being nice to her, so why should I care about doing the same for them!?"

"Because you're better than them Artorian." The Lord answered, placing his hands on Artorian's tiny shoulders. "They abuse their power over others, but your goal is to help protect Karen. And while you are stronger than them in most standings, you have to understand the responsibility of that power is also placed on your shoulders. You can't just use it whenever you want, and I know you threw the first punch."

The call out would cause the boy to look down in shame, unable to argue as his father was correct in his actions. But despite that, the man would pull him into a hug, smiling softly as he held his child.

"You have a pure heart Artorian, you want to protect those close to you. You just don't know how to yet." Artorias said, pulling back to smile to his son. "But you'll learn the most important step in protecting what's precious to you is with a reactive approach. Never throw the first punch, but always be the last one to land a punch."

"O-Okay…" Artorian responded, keeping his stare away until he spoke again, looking up to his dad. "Dad, can I… could I walk with Karen to and from the bus for a few days? I just want to make sure she and Hayato aren't picked on more for what I did."

"That's my boy." Artorias smiled, placing a hand on Artorian's head and ruffling his hair. "You'll have to make up the time in our lessons you miss, but as long as you work to fix your mistake I'll let you take some time out."

"Thank you!"

* * *

"You didn't have to come Arti." Karen would say, her walking next to the boy and her brother after she had gotten off the bus. "You scared them last time, I don't think they'd do something again."

"I just want to be safe." Artorian smiled in return. "Can't let you two deal with my own mistakes."

The bus that dropped the pair off never was able to get close, as the tight schedule of dealing with several grade levels made the driver have to move quickly. So the trio would have to walk for at last a kilometer. And since the siblings' parents were still finishing up work for the day along with Artorias on a temporary assignment in the heart of Yamato, they would be on their own.

Which would prove to be the draw that Artorian thought it would b. As when they weren't even halfway back to the Kisaragi residence they came across the three bullies from the day before. The two on the sides had small but fading cuts on their faces, while the one in the middle had a black eye from the first punch the hybrid threw.

"They look mad." Hayato said with a narrowed stare, his protectiveness over Karen acting immediately. He wasn't there for when they picked on Karen, but seeing the bruises on Artorian made it clear they weren't just going to let the incident go.

"Arti, Hayato…" Karen whimpered, grabbing the hybrid's hand while he remained calm.

"It'll be okay Karen, I promise." Artorian would say to her, smiling to help keep her from getting too worried.

"So you showed up without you're parents huh? That's some nerve after what you pulled on us." The leader of the three growled, his good eye narrowing at Artorian as the boy turned back to him.

"You were picking on Karen, Kai. I just wanted to keep her safe." Artorian responded. "But I understand that I was wrong to throw a punch, there was a right way to handle it and that wasn't it."

"Hmph, you think that makes up for hitting me when I wasn't looking?" Kai said, pointing to his bruised and swollen eye. "It still hurts! You hit me out of nowhere!"

"And I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done it. Is there any way that I can prove that I mean it?" He asked. "I don't wish for this to continue, and hope we can move on from this."

"Heh, you really want to go there?" Kai would question, sneering as he saw Artorian's calm expression.

"I would appreciate the chance."

"Fine, want to say you're sorry? You can start by bowing at my feet and apologizing for hitting my eye. Maybe after that I'll consider forgiving you."

At Kai's demand, Artorian remained in place for several seconds, his expression calm but focused. Kai and his cronies weren't exactly known in the neighborhood for being forgiving or remotely generous, but they were also often the ones with the power in a situation. He figured that since he fought them to a draw last time, perhaps a more open offer was possible, even if it was a small chance.

"Arti…" Karen would say, scared as the boy carefully pulled his hand out of her grasp.

"It's okay Karen, I'm not worried." The boy responded, trying to keep her from getting too scared while Hayato stood protectively in front of her. "This'll finally be put to rest soon, so don't be scared."

"Artorian, be careful." Hayato said, not nearly as trusting to Kai as Artorian was being right now.

"I'm sure it'll work out okay, trust me." Artorian promised, giving his friend a thumbs up before walking towards Kai. It was almost dead silent when the hybrid reached him, Hayato and Karen staring nervously as he got down to his knees.

"I am sorry for punching you in the eye. It was wrong and I shouldn't have done it." The boy would apologize, going further onto his hands and prostrating himself before the three bullies. "I hope that we may put this past us and find a way to be friends, rather than being mean anymore."

"Well, this is different from before, where'd this come from?" Kai sneered, looking down to Artorian as he remained face down. Not much was known on Artorian, but word around the neighborhood was that his father was a big shot in the Slayer ranks. Enough that rumors said that the person who made the Slayer weapons saw him frequently.

"My father told me about something important, a rule I should follow." Artorian responded, not looking up as he did. "It's a weird phrase, Noblesse Oblige. It means that someone who is tough should help those who aren't. I do not wish for you to be the one I use my power against, and hope we can move past our anger."

"Your power?" Kai asked, his teeth clenching together as he heard that. "Are you saying that you hold power over me, and that you don't need to use it?"

"I do, but that doesn't show any less to you. I just recognize that I'm stronger and don't want to hurt people. But you are tough too and can use it to-gck!" Before Artorian could finish, he'd grunt in pain as Kai stomped his foot down on the back of his head, his face hitting the ground and kept pushed down.

"You're joking, I never thought a Slayer kid could joke. Isn't you're dad some kind of fighter?" Kai would ask with a glare, grinding his foot more on Artorian's head, pushing his face more into the ground. "You were lucky, not tough. That was it, luck!"

"W-What are you… doing?" Artorian grunted, tears of pain escaping as he felt blood come out of his nose. He couldn't tell, but his nose was certainly broken from being slammed into the ground without readiness, not to mention the pain he felt from Kai's foot further pressing his face down. "I… I left myself vulnerable, you had the power here and you still-ahhhh!"

"Of course I do, I always do!" Kai shouted, pushing down more on Artorian's head. "You're just a jerk who hits people by surprise! You're not tough, I'm tough! And this proves it, I use my power, you just let it waste like a wimp!"

"Hey! Let him go!" Hayato shouted as he ran forward, curling his hand into a fist in preparation to strike at Kai. However before he was able to get close enough, Hayato was caught by a surprise punch from his side, two more kids appearing from the bushes.

"Hayato!" Karen shouted in concern, the boy managing to stay on his feet but getting wrapped in a full nelson by one of the two.

"I figured you'd get scared and bring a friend, so I decided to bring some of my own." Kai grinned, looking down at Artorian as the boy tried to push himself up. "You know, keep things interesting?" On pace with his words, the kid not holding Hayato punched his stomach, getting a pained gasp from him.

"No!"

"K-Kai don't…" Artorian whimpered through the pain, pleading to the boy as he struggled to push up. "This is about you and me, leave them out of this… they don't… they don't have to-"

"Would you shut up!?" Fed up with Artorian speaking, Kai raised his foot up only to slam it down on Artorian's head again, the pain spiking even more with his nose taking the brunt of the force and further damaging it. "You don't tell me what to do, I'm the toughest so I make the rules! Not you!"

"You're… you're cheating…" The boy on the ground shook from the pain, tears freely rolling down his face to the dirt as he couldn't even push up. "You got friends to… to deal with Hayato and pushed my face into the ground… nothing about this is being tough."

"I have power and I use it however I want." Kai said as he grinded his heel into Artorian's head one last time before pushing off it, relieving him of the pain of his head being pushed down. "They follow me, their power is mine as well. I beat them and now they listen to me. Keep him down."

Artorian attempted to push himself up despite the pain in his face, but at Kai's order the kid on his right delivered a hard kick to his stomach, forcing the air out of his lungs and causing him to fall back down as the kid to Kai's left kicked his side.

"Not so tough now, are you?" One of the kid's sneered, grinning as the two kept kicking and stomping on his back, Artorian unable to fight back from the pain.

"You jerks!" Hayato groaned out, still reeling from the punch to his gut. "When Artorian and I get free we'll-!"

"You'll what!?" The kid in front of him laughed as he punched his stomach again, this time getting Hayato to cough in pain from the impact. "You seem pretty stuck at the moment, you weakling!"

"Pfft, I hate that you got a hit on me." Kai couldn't help but laugh, seeing Artorian cover his head to avoid any serious injuries, but the kicking was certainly testing his pain threshold. "You're both wimpy and an idiot, just as stupid as your friend and-AH!"

Before Kai could finish he was hit in the cheek underneath his black eye by a small rock, the stunt shocking his friends into stopping for a second to turn and see what happened.

"G…Get away from th-them or… or…" Karen said, her voice trembling and body shaking as she became the center of attention of the boy after throwing the rock at his face.

"Y-You…" Kai growled as he brought a hand up to his cheek, wincing at the red mark before glaring at Karen. "A girl throwing a rock at me, what kind of joke is that supposed to be?"

"I-I-It… it isn't a joke…!" Karen responded, still shaking as Kai took step towards her. "I-I'll throw another one and… and this time I-I-I'll… I'll throw it at your eye…!"

Despite her words of, the girl was unable to stop her trembling, taking a step back in fear as Kai continued to walk towards her. His presence alone scared her, but now as the center of his attention, with such a nasty glare she was terrified of the boy.

"I almost forgot…" Kai spoke, a grin forming on his face as he reached into his pocket. "You needed to be taught a lesson anyways, screw you being a girl."

"Karen! Run!"

"Run away from here!"

Both Hayato and Artorian shouted out to the girl, regaining the four other bullies attention who immediately went back to where they left off. A swift punch to Hayato's gut and two timed kicks to opposite sides of Artorian's torso had the two scream in pain, the sounds stunning Karen for a second as she heard the amount of pain in their voices.

"Don't be such a scaredy cat." Kai said, Karen's eyes widening as she registered him closer than before. "I'm not going to hurt you like them." Feeling her instincts overtake her fear, Karen attempted to run away by turning quickly. But before she could get away the boy grabbed her by her hair, pulling hard to prevent her escape.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"You're not getting away that easily!"

"Kar-gack!" Artorian tried to call out as he pushed up a bit, but was silenced again as one of the bullies kicked his stomach again. But even with the pain, he was putting all his strength into avoid falling down on his face again.

"No! Let go! Stop it-OW!" Karen cried out as Kai tightened his hold on her hair, pulling his free hand out of his pocket to reveal a pocketknife that he flipped open.

"Found my dad's old knife in his secret box." Kai would say, both Artorian and Hayato's eyes widening in shock while Karen's closed in fear. "Figured it'd be only fair since you were so mean last time that I just cut a bit of your hair off."

"No, please stop!" Karen cried as she struggled against Kai's grasp, tears running down her face from the pain and her fear.

"Karen!" Hayato called out, getting another punch to his stomach.

"You really like saying her name huh?" The kid said with a grin, delivering another punch.

"D-Darn it!" Kai would grunt as he tried to align his knife with Karen's hair, her constant struggling making his arm misplace the knife and forcing him to work against the jarring. "Stay still!"

"Arti! Hayato! Please!" Karen cried as she flailed, one of her arms going back and hitting Kai's bruise. The pain caused Kai to recoil momentarily before both he and Karen lost their footing, falling forward from Karen's momentum going in the direction.

Kai's hands held firmly on the pocketknife and hair, only just releasing as they were nearing the ground to try and change his position of falling. But as he did, the blade of the knife would puncture through Karen's clothes and meet the skin underneath, silence forming momentarily before a pained scream came out.

"A-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Karen screamed as much as her lungs could, the pain causing her to bawl her eyes as she landed on the ground.

In that second both Hayato and Artorian froze in fear as they heard her crying, the latter dropping his guard protecting his face to look back. Seeing Karen down on the ground, crying while a dark red mark began to form around the cut in her dress shook him to his core, the memory of her first giggle running through his head.

And at the moment both him and Hayato saw her blood on her skin, something snapped in the two, their eyes widening in what could only be described as pure fury.

When the kid to Artorian's left reeled his leg back for another kick, the hybrid would push past all the pain he was feeling and rise to a knee, throwing a punch suddenly that struck the side of the bully's knee.

"Ahh!" The sudden pain caused the kid to fall over, giving Artorian the freedom to catch the second bully's foot and push forward. In a second Artorian knocked one of them over and slammed the other to the ground as he stood up, getting shared shouts of pain from them.

"What the…" Both bullies restraining Hayato spoke, the one hitting Hayato stopping to turn and see Artorian get up. "How did he get up like that-gah!"

Before he could finish, Hayato brought one of his legs up and kicked the back of the bully's knee, forcing him to fall down before bringing the same foot down onto the kid restraining him 's toes.

"OW!" The kid screamed before Hayato slammed his head back, hitting hard enough to cause a small crack to come from his nose. Having been put through so much pain, the kid released Hayato and bent down, covering his nose as it began to bleed from the head-butt.

"Ragh!" Hayato shouted as he turned and tackled the kid to the ground, getting on top of him and rearing his fist back. "This is for my sister!" He'd say as he swung his fist down, punching the kid across the face as a fire formed in his eyes.

"You jerk!" The other kid shouted as he recovered and turned, getting ready to tackle Hayato before being interrupted by Artorian, the hybrid punching his from his blindside right into his jaw.

"The only jerks here are you!" Artorian screamed as he tightened his fist, punching his face again and knocking him to the ground before turning his attention to Kai.

Kai was only just getting up as Artorian ran right at him and tackled him back down, already swinging his fists down to the bully with rage in his eyes.

"How dare you do that to Karen!" He bellowed as he swung blindly, half his punches just hitting the ground as they missed Kai's face. However the ones that did land stung painfully, tears of pain filling Kai's vision yet the boy held on.

Seeing his opening, Kai would suddenly swing his fist up and punch Artorian right in the nose, the sound of the cartilage cracking only deafened by Artorian's scream of pain. He was then pushed off by Kai's foot, the hybrid managing to get up to his feet from the push and stepped to immediately engage again.

Before he could though, the two bullies that were kicking him appeared behind him, wrapping their arms to lock his and keep him in place.

"Well… isn't this more right." Kai would say, wiping his lip clean of blood as he got back up. "A wimp getting, punched!" He'd say, slamming a fist into Artorian's gut and causing him to gasp from the loss of air. It was followed by a punch to his cheek, another hitting the other side before being finished with a straight punch to his face.

"What's the matter, Arti!?" Kai shouted, continuing to punch the hybrid across his face and stomach without mercy, rubbing the salt in the wound by using Karen's mispronunciation of his name. "Where's the "tough" stuff you said you had!?"

"Only…" Artorian muttered through blood, tears and punches, the two bullies holding him feel his arms shake in resistance. "Karen…" He'd breath out, putting all his strength into his right arm to overpower the bully and swing him around, getting him to take Kai's next punch to the chin and let him go.

"Calls me ARTI!" Artorian shouted with fury, tightening his freed fist and slamming it directly into the bully's face that was still holding him. The force causing the same cracking they heard before, his nose now broken like the others as he fell to the ground in agony.

He then turned his attention back to Kai and the other bully, taking another punch from Kai that made him stumble back before retaliating, delivering a hard punch to his cheek that was hit by Karen's rock.

"You have a lot of nerve!" The bully that Artorian knocked over before attacking Kai growled, beginning to run after the hybrid before getting tackled from behind.

"You're not going to group on him any more!" Hayato shouted as he punched down, hitting the kid's face before getting a punch in return. The bully would then quickly flip the two of them over, now on top of Hayato with an angered stare.

"What's a wimp like you going to do to me!?" He shouted as he swung down, getting another solid hit before Hayato recovered, bringing an arm up to block the next punch. "He's all your strength, you're just an extra! A stupid nobody following an equally stupid wimp!"

"I won't let Artorian fight alone!" Hayato screamed as he stared directly into the bully's eyes, the raw fury shocking the boy into stopping and leaving him open to Hayato's punch upward. The punch was strong enough to snap his head up, Hayato using the opening to punch his chin hard, knocking the bully off of him.

As he'd sit up, Hayato winced in pain, wiping his hand across his mouth to get the blood from the cut on his lip off. He'd look over to see Artorian brawling against both Kai and the other bully, noting the other three seemed to be staying down from the pain they were in; the two with broken noses clutching onto their faces while the one he just beat seemed to be knocked unconscious.

Steeling himself, Hayato would punch the ground before getting up, his half blurred vision clearing as he rushed to assist Artorian. Without even thinking he reared his fist back and punched the fourth bully across the face, hitting just bellow the eye.

Due to the suddenness of the punch, the bully was knocked immediately down to the ground, Hayato working quickly to deliver a stomp down onto his gut to knock the wind out of him.

Panting from exhaustion, Hayato would collapse onto his hands and knees next to the bully, looking to see Artorian and Kai trading blows with almost unnatural resilience. He knew Artorian was hurt much more, but seeing Kai manage to hold his own despite that made Hayato almost get up to help his friend.

But before he did, he remembered the whole purpose behind the fight and moved to go check on Karen, the girl still crying in pain. She was still in the same place as before, hurting too much to even move and unable to see through all the tears.

"Karen, Karen it's me!" He'd say as he fell to his knees next to his sister, panic on his face as he saw the dark red in her dress.

"H-Hayato…?" She'd sob, turning her head to look back to him. "A-Are y…you okay?"

"Don't be scared for me, here let me see the cut." Hayato would respond, trying to look at the opening in Karen's dress to see the extent of the cut.

"AHH!" it pained him to hear his sister cry in agony, but the boy knew he had to see the cut and continued more gently. Separating the two sides of the cut cloth, he'd se where her blood was coming from and carefully wiped a bit away. Karen would whimper, but he had to be sure that it hadn't cut too far deep in her.

He breathed a sigh of relief when it seemed the cut wasn't too deep, realizing that the amount of blood sen was because of it being pressed against her clothes.

"O-Okay Karen, it doesn't look… look so bad." Hayato promised, slowly beginning to shake from both the pain and worry he had for his sister. "It probably… it probably just hurts more than it looks."

"W-what about you and… and Arti?" Karen would question her older brother's well being again, looking over her shoulder to see him.

"I'll be okay, and Artorian's… I think he's handling himself." Hayato promised.

"You talk so much about being tough, but where do you think hurting a little girl makes you tough at all!" Artorian shouted as he delivered a hard punch to Kai's jaw, the latest blow causing the bully to fall back onto his butt.

"Shut up…" Kai responded, grunting as he wiped his face with his forearm.

"You're supposed to use your power to protect people! Not use it to hurt others who just didn't say what you wanted to!" Artorian continued, standing over Kai as he stopped his assault. "You abused your power, how could you do that!?"

"Shut up."

"You could be a great person, you and Hayato are equally tough!" Artorian shouted on, leaning down to grab Kai's collar to pull him up more, staring him dead in the eyes. "You can't be tough and hurt those below you! That isn't how Noblesse Oblige works!"

"I said shut up!" Kai would surprise Artorian by bringing a rock up, hitting him in the cheek and jarring his senses. The hybrid would feel his vision blur as he released Kai, taking a few steps back before turning and falling onto his stomach, his mind fuzzy from the blow.

"Noblesse this and tough that! You act like you're so much better than everyone!" Kai shouted as he threw the rock and hit the back of Artorian's head, getting a pained scream from him. "You're dad's stupid Slayers, those jerks did things to my dad that can't change! He can't walk, he can barely see and his skin is almost turning grey! You talk about helping people, but all your dad's done is get others hurt!"

"Th… That's not… Karen's fault…" Artorian gasped through pained breaths, slowly pushing himself up while Kai got on his feet. "She didn't… you shouldn't… it was wrong…"

"Your family hurt mine, so I'll hurt yours." Kai said as he walked towards Artorian, reaching down and grabbing his dad's pocketknife when he passed it. "My dad said his team had a saying, "an eye for an eye" or something." As Artorian got to his knees and turned, his eyes would widen as he saw Kai prepare to swing the knife. "I think that's better than stupid made up words like Noblesse Oblige!"

"Artorian!" Hayato screamed as the hybrid turned his head back to face away, attempting to duck down to avoid the blade.

But it was too late, and the boy felt the tip of the knife pierce through and cut the skin on the back of his knife. The pain was burning, the boy clutching to the injury as he shouted in pain, unable to contain it as he remained down on the ground.

 _'It… it hurts…!'_ Artorian would think with tears in his eyes, the pain becoming too much for him as he laid on the ground. _'Mr. Kisaragi, Mrs. Dimandias, dad, please… it hurts too much. Please, help me.'_

"Arti!" Karen cried as she turned and saw Artorian, the raw terror in her voice causing the hybrid's eyes to snap open. Looking to the corner of his eyes, he saw the tears flowing down her face as she held her hand out desperately, the sheer horror too much for her to handle; but she wouldn't turn away, and the sight of her eyes burned into his brain.

 _'Karen…'_ A flash of red would then overcome Artorian's senses, the hybrid's eyes shaking violently as suddenly all the pain he was feeling went away, his whole body going numb as he turned back to Kai.

"What, does it hurt!?" Kai antagonized as he reared the knife back again, his adrenaline preventing him from understanding the extent of Artorian's injuries. "Well that's only the start! I'll make you feel the pain equal to the shame your-gwalck!"

"SHUT UP!" Artorian bellowed, his eyes turning bright red as he punched Kai's throat to stop his talking.

The blow caused Kai to stop breathing for several seconds, the bully dropping the knife and grasping at his neck with tears in his eyes as he tried desperately to get some air. But the moment he'd inhale, it was immediately knocked out as the hybrid rammed his shoulder into his gut and tackled him to the ground.

"YOU CUT ME!" Artorian would scream as he would grab Kai by the throat, keeping him pinned down before throwing a punch to his face. "YOU HURT HAYATO!" Another punch would be followed, Artorian's voice booming with rage as he bared his teeth at the bully.

"AND YOU MADE KAREN CRY!" He'd then continue with the punching, the amount of blows knocking Kai onto the verge of consciousness as Artorian refused to stop. "I WON'T FORGIVE ANYONE WHO MAKES HER CRY! YOU HURT HER BAD AND THEN MADE HER CRY!"

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Artorian bellowed in fury, his eyes wide in rage as he tightened his fist more, rearing it back and preparing to deliver one last, powerful blow on the side of the bully's head. He was seeing pure red, unable to think of anything but finishing off Kai, ignoring the tears of terror in his eyes as he stared up to the beast that replaced the hybrid child.

"DIE!"

"Arti stop!" An inch before his fist would connect, Karen's voice would pierce through the fog in Artorian's head, his fist trembling as it stopped just short of ending the boy.

"Please, don't hurt him any more!" Karen cried, trembling as she stared at the boy from behind. "You don't… please don't… you're scaring me Arti…"

"Artorian… it's over." Hayato would say as well, although with less terror and more concern.

As the boy remained overtop of him, his eyes were still shaking from the pressure he was feeling, his desire to strike Kai festering more as he stared down to the boy. But as he heard Karen's sobs that pressure slowly died away, his fist loosening to a hand, the glow in his eyes going away when his control finally came back.

When Artorian attempted to move away he immediately fell to his back, the pain returning as his adrenaline had worn off. Every punch and cut was now fully realized, and he couldn't help but let out a pained grunt.

Even after the series of blows he left on Kai, it was obvious that Artorian was the worse for wear out of all the kids present. There were several red marks across his face, future bruises that would certainly hurt more later, the cut on the back of his neck was bleeding freely, not a deep cut but enough to more than get what Kai was desiring. His knuckles were bloodied, both from punching the ground and punching Kai, the pain only just now being realized by the hybrid. And the blood coming from the two splits in his lip and broken nose, Artorian looked more like he had come out of a warzone than a kid's brawl.

"You… took it too far…" Artorian would breathe out, looking to Kai as he slowly pushed himself back up. The other boy was barely moving, his hands coming up to cover his face futile to try and numb the pain. "So much as… look at Karen or Hayato and I'll… I'll do what I said." His voice was shaky, but the message was still clear, and the violence he had shown just moments ago more than told that he was capable of doing it too.

Finding the strength to move again, Artorian would turn himself and begin to walk towards Hayato and Karen, his head down in shame as he limped over. When he was close, he fell to his knees without even trying to stay up. Both siblings looked to Artorian in concern, his stare remaining down to the dirt as he felt unable to even look at them.

"Ar… are you okay?" He'd ask, his eyes just barely looking up to see the two as he shook.

"We… we should be asking you that." Hayato responded, a bittersweet chuckle escaping his lips as he felt his eyes begin to sting.

"Arti… I… I…" Karen would sob, managing to sit up before suddenly wrapping her arms around him, clutching onto him as tightly as she could as she began to bawl. "I was so scared! You and Hayato got hurt and I… it was all my fault!"

"Nng!" Artorian groaned in pain at Karen's embrace, but hearing her cries made him take whatever pain he was feeling and swallow it.

"W-What are you talking about?" Artorian grunted in return, putting an arm around her to return the embrace. "Me and Hayato are fine, you're the one who got hurt. You're the one we are worried about."

"B-B-But… but you're both really hurt and I… I couldn't do anything and I…" Karen continued to sob into Artorian's chest, her crying causing the hybrid's entire body to feel soften.

"Karen…" He'd say, bringing his hand up to gently guide her gaze to look up to his face, her eyes widening in shock as she saw him smile brightly. "Hayato and I are tough, this… this doesn't hurt at all. So don't cry, you shouldn't waste you tears for something like this."

"B-But I…"

"No, you didn't." The hybrid interrupted. "This was all Kai's fault, not yours. So don't blame yourself, all that matters is that you're okay. Which means you can't cry, it… it isn't right."

"A… Arti…" Karen would continue to sob, lowering her head as she continued to cling onto him, her body shaking in fear and relief.

"We'll always be here for you Karen." Hayato would add, moving to wrap both Artorian and Karen in a hug. "We'll protect you, because that's what boys do. They protect their friends and family, even if they get hurt."

"Hayato… I'm… I'm sorry." Karen continued to sob, the embrace from the two slowly calming her. As she did begin to relax, as the boys were letting her cry her eyes out, Artorian looked up to the sky with narrowed eyes.

 _'I… I don't want to experience that again…'_ He'd think, recalling the last few minutes in painful detail. _'Her fear… her… her crying… I don't want to hear or see that ever again…'_ Steeling his resolve, Artorian would lower his head to place a comforting kiss on Karen's forehead, making a solemn vow.

 _'I won't let it happen again… I'll protect that smile. I won't let you cry anymore.'_ The hybrid promised, holding Karen close as the world seemed to fade around him.

* * *

Artorian slowly opened his eyes, looking up to the sky as the sun was slowly setting. The red in the sky reminded him of the blood he saw that day, getting a bittersweet laugh from him as he finished the story.

"I loved her smile, it fascinated me since the moment I saw it. And her crying, hurt and scared… I would never stand for it." He'd say, his hand tightening to a fist. "I promised myself since that day I wouldn't let her cry again, I'd be as strong as possible so that she never would be hurt again. That's why I have to be there for her, I won't let her ever be alone in this world."

"Oh my god…" Miharu muttered as she looked to Artorian, the story far from what she had expected from the boy. She knew that Yamato had a delinquency problem in the past, but to hear the extent of the problem and how it affected him… his protectiveness became all the more understandable. An experience like that at such a young age, it's a miracle he wasn't further traumatized.

"I still have the mark from the cut I got, it's surprisingly stuck through with me." Artorian would attempt to joke, turning back around to face the railing, bringing two fingers to rub the back of his neck on the fading scar. "I can't even remember how many stitches I got for that alone, all I remember after the fight was Karen's parents showing up and calling the ambulance immediately. Hamaki couldn't decide if she wanted to smack me for doing something so reckless or hug me until she couldn't anymore."

"The funniest part of all that… I brutalized a kid, beat him half to death and did so without blinking, all because he made Karen cry. And you know what? I don't regret it." Artorian stated, his hands tightening around the railing as he looked out to the horizon. "I know I went too far, I know beating the literal life out of him was wrong, no matter what he did to me I had the power over him and could've kicked his ass a thousand times worse. But I don't care; I'd have done it without flinching next time if he had even gotten close to Karen again."

"Do you know… what happened to him?"

"Probably got stitches for the massive cut I put on the side of his head from the punches, didn't care to ever figure out after." Artorian answered. "And after the Savage, I wouldn't have blinked if he had died. I gave Kai the chance to change and he stomped it into the dirt. I'd honestly be happy if it turns out he died to a Savage, good riddance to bad rubbish."

"You don't mean that." Miharu responded. "He was wrong, and I certainly know you hate him, justifiably so. But you would never wish someone dead."

"And how would you know that?" He'd ask in return. "I punched him until I couldn't figure out if the blood on my fist was his or mine. And with it now only being Karen left… with Hayato gone I'd be all alone to defend her. If anything, I'd be even more hellish. I wouldn't hesitate to kill him if the same thing happened again."

"Because as much as you say that, as much as you want yourself and everyone else to believe that you're willing to kill, I know that isn't you. You're a protector; you saved thousands of lives alone back on the Zwei Islands. I saw the footage, that wasn't someone fighting for a single person. You can fool yourself, but you can't fool me."

"And you're not alone." Miharu would say, placing her hand over his on the railing. "You have Emile, Claire, your fellow Slayers and me to help. You have people to rely on, you don't have to pretend you're alone anymore."

"…" Artorian remained silent, looking down as he thought over Miharu's words. He didn't feel her views on him to remotely close, aside from a select few people, he could care less for anyone's well being. He's sacrificed people for his and Karen's well being in the past and he'd do it again. But, he did admit the nurse did have a point: he was a protector, and he isn't the only one on this ship.

"…Thank you, Miharu." He'd eventually say, flipping his hand to hold onto hers for a second, smiling as he closed his eyes. "It's nice to know someone can think so positively on someone who beat down a kid."

The two would remain in silence for the rest of their time up, staring out and watching as the sun would set before them. They stayed up on the tower until the sun was out of sight; the illumination of the moon appearing behind them once the bright light was gone. And once it did, the Slayer and nurse would leave, still remaining silent as they walked throughout Little Garden back to Miharu's apartment.

"Sorry if the date ended on such a somber note." Artorian apologized as they reached her room's door.

"No, don't be. I had a good time." Miharu shook her head, smiling to the Slayer as she did. "I got to try new foods and see sights few on Little Garden can. Not to mention I got to know Little Garden's Wolf Knight better too."

"Still, I wish my story was a bit better to hear than it ends up as. The brief bit is much more charming than the brawl that went down." He admitted. "Not many people would like hearing a story about kids beating each other up." He'd then chuckle, raising a hand in a still wave as he turned to walk away. "Well, I shouldn't keep you up any more, I'm sure you'll be busy with your work. Good night, Miharu."

"Wait, before you go." Hearing the nurse speak, Artorian paused and turned back around, humming in response. But before he could expect it, Miharu gently took his face in her hands and placed a small kiss on his cheek, surprising him at the affection before she stepped back.

"A knight always deserves a kiss after his hard work after all." The nurse would tease, smiling to the hybrid before opening her door. "Don't stay up too late Artorian, you need your rest." She'd say, closing the door after saying one last thing. "Good night, Artorian."

When the door closed, Artorian couldn't help but chuckle, placing a hand on his cheek where she kissed. "Damn, that's 0-2 for me on this cutesy cheek kiss crap." He'd then shift his blade on his shoulder, turning to walk out while smiling to himself.

 _'What am I gonna do about this.'_ He'd sigh as he thought to himself. _'A nurse, a princess and an idol, this is gonna get out of control if I'm not careful.'_ Although that would cause him to chuckle to himself again, rolling his eyes at his own antics. _'Wish I wasn't as good as I was, taking things slow would be a lot more helpful here.'_

"Eh, I'll think about it in the morning." He'd say to himself, cracking his shoulders as he walked. "For now, relaxing time. Remembering Kai's smug prick face always get's me exhausted."

* * *

 **(A/N): Well, so much for a break huh? I wanted to get this chapter started a little early so that when I got the drive again I would have something to work off of to ease the burden when starting. 3,000 words later and i realized I figured out how to do every single bit with a few alterations in the revision. I'll admit, it was a little weird writing for them as kids, mainly since I had to try and dumb down their** **dialogue a bit to make some sense, but wasn't too worried on that.**

 **I was more focused on laughing at myself for originally expecting this section to be added onto the last chapter, which I predicted would've only added around 1,000 to 2,000 words. And with it over 8,000 words, I realized how little I would've had in if I didn't push this to be it's own chapter. So I'm glad I came to that decision as it gives more details on the thought process of Artorian, especially giving the source on why he dislikes the concept of Noblesse Oblige and where his protectiveness of Karen originates from.**

 **But that's all besides the point, this chapter felt surprisingly good to write and I'm glad I got it out. I hope you all enjoyed reading it and I'll see you in the next chapter. Peace!**


	17. Waking Development

"Sorry we took so long Vitaly, there was a small issue that had us occupied." Krovanh would say as he, Nakri and Nesat walked into a laboratory, all getting onto a single knee as he spoke.

"Oh, a problem?" A woman with long red hair and yellow eyes responded, turning from her terminal to the three Hunters. She had on a lab coat, albeit left open in order to reveal her voluptuous figure scarcely hidden by the rest of her clothing. "Tell me Krovanh, what problem could stall three Variants in the middle of a mission that should have been a quick in and out? Certainly not the Savage?"

"The Savage were of no problem, in fact one was already dead by the time we reached their energy sources." Nakri answered, her head held down as if to signify the woman's power over them.

"Already dead? So there were Slayers?" Vitaly hummed, rubbing her cheek as she looked to her projects. "And they managed to give you some trouble fighting?"

"Only one did, the others were easily being dealt with." Nesat stated. "There were four in total, not including the Idol Sakura Kirishima who was present."

"Ah, my precious subject was still in the middle of her tour on the Zwei Islands. Tell me, did you manage to recover her Hundred by any chance?"

"N-No… we were running short on time and had to get out with the Savage cores." Krovanh stuttered, him and Nesat holding out the cores recovered as two mechanical claws grabbed them away. "We had been avoiding the search teams for 24 hours, it's the reason we were behind schedule."

"I see, so you let four Slayers manage to stall you not only long enough to prevent you from getting more variable stones, but nearly get discovered." Vitaly spoke as she crossed her arms, catching a small remote from her sleeve that caused the three Hunters' eyes to widen in concern. "All the power I've given you, and you let four from Little Garden nearly cost us the operation?"

"O-Of course not! We just underestimated them and they got luck-GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Nakri desperately tried to explain their situation, but was cut off as Vitaly turned the dial on the remote with her thumb, an electric current going through all three Hunters from their collars as a result.

"Need I remind you the importance of you three remaining as discrete as possible?" Vitaly would ask, watching as the three fell to the ground, grasping their heads as the pain remained constant. "Almost getting discovered like that could've caused serious damage to my plans, and all you can say is they got lucky?"

"P-Please! We're sorry!"

"No, I'm sorry for not teaching you an important lesson." Vitaly spoke, amplifying the power of their collars for a few seconds. "There is no such thing as luck in this world. They did well because you got sloppy."

Expecting her message has been put in, she'd turn the dial back down to turn the function on their collars turning off. The relief was short lived as the Hunters panted to regain their breath; they looked up to see Vitaly staring expectantly at them, putting their instincts on guard.

"Now how about you answer this for me, did you at least get any names for the Slayers you let best you?" She would ask, her thumb still on the dial as she asked.

"W-We only got two." Krovanh responded, the first of the three to regain his senses. "Some guy named… Matthew from the sounds of it, threw energy molded into lightning. And another guy named… Artemis? N-No, Alistair…?"

"Krovanh, you're testing my patience." Vitaly said, putting emphasis on her thumb as she spoke. "If you don't give me an answer of certainty, I'll have to jog your memory with output 11."

"A-A-Artorian!" The Hunter shouted, the threat of the pain alone getting him to remember. "The white haired guy called him Artorian!"

"Artorian, you're sure?" Vitaly would respond, finding the name familiar.

"Y-Yes, that was his name." The Hunter panted.

"What did he look like?"

"Vitaly?"

"Answers. Now."

"Short silver hair." Nesat would speak for her brother, finding her voice. "He had silver hair and dark blue eyes, possibly standing somewhere between six to seven feet tall."

"Silver hair, blue eyes and tall… well, isn't that poetic?" Vitaly would mutter to herself, turning away from the Hunters and stepping several paces away as she looked to her monitor. "So your creation has met mine? Even in death you prove to be an annoyance."

"V-Vitaly?"

"Oh, don't mind me. Just remembering an old friend." The woman would respond, taking a second to think to herself before turning back to the three Hunters. "As of now though, we have more important things to worry about. The UN seems to be suspicious of something and is preparing an operation; my only guess would be a small force of Savage is landing soon. Which means you'll need to be ready for when I get a location."

"So be sure to eat well, get plenty of rest… and get ready for the next series of injections."

* * *

"Artorian… Artorian~"

"Hmmm?" The hybrid would hum as he heard a sweet and gentle voice, slowly pulling his senses back to their proper state as he sat up on his bed. Rubbing his head as he slowly recovered from his synthesized sleep, he'd first notice a pleasant warmth and soft weight on his waist.

"Emile?" He'd guess, blinking his eyes as he waited for his eyesight to properly return. "What are you doing in here? You know Claire will throw a fit if you get cau-" When he finally opened his eyes, the Slayer would pause in the middle of speaking when he was met with the smiling face of Sakura, the idol sitting on his waist as she waited for him to wake up.

"Hello, my brave knight." The idol would say, smiling brightly as she looked to the Slayer.

"Yo, interesting seeing you here." He'd respond casually. "I thought you were supposed to be in Liberia for your recording or something like that?"

"Hmph!" Sakura would pout at his lackluster response, crossing her arms as she looked to the side. "Only a "Yo" for your precious idol's return? How are you expecting to get an average of 90 if you keep saying such basic things?"

"Oh we're still doing that?" He'd raise an eyebrow, cracking his neck as he was still going through the process letting his body recuperate from having half his senses shut down. "Sorry, you caught me in the middle of an artificial sleep, I'm reeling from having four of my five senses being shut down."

"You can do that?"

"Yeah it's a limited but interesting ability. My turn to ask a question: how is it that you're here right now? Considering Souffle's adamancy for you to go to your recording and the fact we're not even docked." He'd say, giving the idol a half lidded stare.

"For your information, it should hardly be a surprise." Sakura stated, puffing her chest out with pride as sh continued. "I'm the Oriental Wizard Sakura Kirishima, the woman who makes the impossible possible~"

"You came without permission again, didn't you?" Seeing Sakura's shoulders tense in response, the hybrid would sigh as he looked down. "Obvious answer for a hundred points."

"Y-You know that you can't just land on Little Garden without permission!" The idol would argue, placing her hands down on his sides as she defended herself. "I sent a message to the air traffic controller."

"Saying?"

"…"If you let me land, I'll give your younger sister an autograph"…" She would answer, flustered at admitting to her method of getting on.

"Bribery… why is that so popular on this ship?" Artorian would mutter to himself, blinking as he let it go to ask another question. "Wait, if you didn't have permission from either Souffle or Claire, how did you even get in my room?"

"Ornisium let me in."

"Okay first; rude, don't say that again." He would say, confusing the idol for a second. "Second; how did he get my lock and why did he let someone in!?" That outburst was more to himself, reaching over to his PDA to look at the lock code. "I'm going to have to update this thing, everyone's getting into my room these days."

"Like Emile?" Sakura would ask, tilting her head. "You said his name when you woke up, did you think I was him?"

"…Yes."

"A boy."

"Correct."

"And you thought I, a very obvious girl, was him?"

"In my defense, he is very tiny… and soft." The hybrid would say, coming up with an excuse as to why he would mistaken Sakura for a "guy" like "Emile".

"Hmmmm…" Sakura would hum, looking close at Artorian at his answer.

"What are you even doing on Little Garden? Kinda out of the way from Liberia."

"Well, I came to see you, obviously." The idol answered, her bright smile returning as she did. "I had shut myself in the studio to power through all the work I had. And the moment I was done I called my previous pilot to fly me to Little Garden. I wanted to personally give you a gift."

"…A gift?"

"Yes, if you just give me a second I can properly send it." Sakura said, taking out her own PDA, typing in a code before smiling. "There, when your reception notification pops up, insert the code 91719."

Immediately after, the notification popped up on the hybrid's screen, getting him to swipe it open. Inserting the given code, he'd wait for it to process a second notification went off stating the completed transfer before opening up. The screen then went to his music app, revealing a picture of the idol standing among a set of hills from the Zwei Islands.

"It's the thumbnail from my latest album" Sakura explained, shifting off of Artorian's waist to sit next to him, leaning against his shoulder as she looked at his screen.

"Oh… thanks? I'll be sure to treasure this wondrous… why?" Artorian questioned, looking from the screen to the idol.

"The image isn't the gift you goof." Sakura stated, poking his cheek as she did. "Touch the thumbnail and you'll understand." Rolling his eyes, he would humor her request and touch the screen, which resulted in a subtle gasp and glare from her. "No way… lewd Artorian."

"Oh what now?"

"You just touched my boobs."

"You judged me for not touching the screen, and now I'm getting judged for touching it. Why can't women make up their minds?"

"I told you to touch it, but I said nothing about touching my boobs." The girl pouted, looking to the side as she did. "You did it because you wanted to."

"Well… yeah? It's kinda funny."

"If you wanted to touch them, then do it directly." She'd mutter, her face tinted red in embarrassment.

"Do not tempt me Pinky, we are still on my bed." He'd say before taking his finger off the screen. When he did, a slow and peaceful melody began to play, a subtle ringing going in his ears but being nearly dulled out by the familiar song. "Wait, this is…"

"You said you were considering getting it, so I wanted to better mix it and have it recorded. I just finished it yesterday after a week's worth of work." Sakura admitted. "That's the reason I came here, I wanted you to be the first person to hear it."

"That's… that's real… Gods I'm bad at this." Artorian sighed, trying to find the right words before going for the straight answer, wrapping an arm around her to pull her into a half embrace. "That was nice of you Sakura, thank you."

"Y-You're welcome." Sakura blushed, feeling the comforting coolness of his body counter the more heated feeling of hers from being a Variant. "I made sure that this time, it was a full song, rather than a single chorus. I wrote the lyrics and put my body and soul into it."

"I can tell, you're someone who would put so much effort into something like this." He'd chuckle, listening to the idol's song, picking up the clear indications of the lyrics noting love towards a knight.

"I…I know you probably know this, but back when I said the song was inspired by the Slayers who protected the islands, I really made it for you. I wanted you to know that if you didn't."

Artorian would only hum in understanding, he knew well that it was made for him, but was also aware that a part of Sakura had a certain standard she had to stand by. She couldn't have just outright said the song was for the Slayer she developed a crush on, lest she cause a bit of a scene with all her fans.

The two would remain sitting on his bed up until the end of the song, hearing the idol's recorded voice die out in the final seconds. Once it was done, Artorian would lean over and place the PDA back on his nightstand, smiling to himself before looking to the idol.

"Not bad Sakura, I can say for certain now I was definitely wrong about your talent as a song writer from back then." He'd admit, comfortable saying that since the idol was aware of his previous view on her songs.

"Thank you… say Artorian, there's something else I wanted to tell you." The idol would say, looking down a bit as his gaze was centered on her. "Ever since the end of the concert, as I was traveling around for work I was always thinking about you. And about something we talked about before, something that I feel I need to clarify now."

"What is it?" In response to his question, the idol would move again from his side to sit on top of him, her legs on either side of his waist as she looked him in the eyes, her cheeks flushed red but her eyes convicted.

"Back when we were in the hotel, I had asked to for you to marry me. At the time, I was just trying to tease you, have some fun after such a boring drive to there." She would detail, recalling the attempt and how it went completely differently than how she expected. "But… but now I'm serious. I'm an idol, which means I must always keep an appearance for all my fans. But with you… with you it feels nice to be myself."

"Wait hold up, are you actually-?" Before he could finish, Sakura would place her hands on Artorian's cheeks, her blush brightening but her determination growing as well.

"Artorian… I want to have that kind of life with you." She'd say with dedication. "I'll show you that I'm certain on this, and that I can make you happy."

"Sakura… wait." Artorian would say, bringing his hands up to take hers off his face. "We can't."

"B-But…" The idol's heart sank as she saw the expression on his face, fear entering her mind as he appeared guilty of something. The idea of rejection never crossed her mind, but hearing his response, it had suddenly felt like a reality.

"Don't give me that look. And let me finish okay?" The hybrid said, seeing the dread in her eyes from his actions. "We can't, not yet anyways. There's more to a commitment than simply being in love. Especially in a relationship with me." At his words, Artorian would bring his own hand up and cup her cheek in his palm, giving her a small smile.

"We've only known each other for a day in total, all I know about you is your passion for your songs and the pain you've been through. If you're serious about getting married, than first thing's first is that I want to get to know the real you. The person you told me you're happy to be around me."

"S-So… is that a… is that a yes?" Sakura would ask staring into eyes, captivated by the deep blue that resembled the ocean.

"It wasn't a no. So don't go worrying your head about a full on rejection Pinky." He'd say chuckling as he saw her sigh with relief. "We just need more time together before we can properly decide on something like that, is that okay with you?"

"Y-Yes, it is." Sakura would smile in return. "I'll show you that I'm positive I want to marry you, and you'll see that you will want the same."

"Quite the promise, I almost might not believe you." He'd say, slowly moving his head forward. "Perhaps you'd want to signify that promise in some way?"

"I… I would like to…" Sakura would stutter, realizing what he meant and fully accepting it. The two would close their eyes as they inched their lips closer together, centimeters apart from each other before the sound of the door slamming open caught their attention.

"So, you are in here! Sakura Kirishima you have some nerve as to-!?" Claire would begin to shout, her words dying in her throat temporarily as she saw the position the idol and Slayer were in. "W-What are you two doing!?"

"Gods damn it Claire! Twice now!" Artorian shouted in return, acting on instinct and standing up on his bed, shaking Sakura off him and back onto his bed. "Twice, you've walked into this room before a rather heartwarming kiss happens twice! Forget being the Perfect Queen, they should call you the Cock-Block Queen!"

"Y-You have some nerve Artorian!" The blonde responded, her cheeks dusted red but her eyes narrowed in a glare. "You have a responsibility as a Slayer, you should have reported Kirishima's presence here immediately rather than attempt to act in such debauchery!"

"And there it is again! Stop saying debauchery! Nobody says that anymore!" He continued to shout, pointing to the Slayer as he did. "What are you even doing here!? And why the hell do you never knock!?"

"I had received a message from Souffle Clearrail that Kirishima could have been on Little Garden!" Claire responded back, pointing in return to said idol on the bed. "Sakura Kirishima, even if you are a client of Warslran, your selfish invasion into Little Garden is a felony. I will have to restrain you immediately."

"Don't ignore the second question!"

"No, it isn't illegal." Sakura would attempt to defend herself; shaking off the fascination at how quickly the two Slayers had began to argue. "I got proper permission from the administration department."

"After promising an autograph for them, yes?" Claire would guess, crossing her arms under chest as she stared at the idol.

"Hey! I said stop ignoring my second question!"

"Wah! How did you know that!?"

"I could imagine you doing that." The blonde answered, getting Artorian to grind his teeth more at being ignored. "Whatever the case, I am the commander of Little Garden. If you don't have my approval, then your actions are illegal all the same. So I would recommend you come peacefully as I escort you off my ship."

"If that's the case, Claire Harvey, make me a student in the martial arts department."

"Hey, I am too fired up to be ignored like this you little-!" In the midst of his rant, both Artorian and Claire's eyes snapped to the idol, surprised by her request.

"…What?" They echoed each other, taken aback by what she said.

"You didn't hear me Claire Harvey? Incorporate me into the martial arts department of Little Garden. I already have permission from Warslran HQ and have submitted the necessary documents." Sakura stated, smirking in satisfaction at the Slayer as she crossed her arms. "All that remains is for you to sign your signature."

 _'JUDAL YOU GODS DAMN FUCKING PRICK HEAD!'_

"Wait a moment, why are you going through all this?" Claire would question. "You're an idol, a superstar that the whole world adores! Why join and become an official Slayer!?"

"So that I can stay here without any problems. And this way, me coming won't be trespassing."

"Even then, you're incapable of being a Slayer as far as my reports inform me. You can use a Hundred, but you're unable to generate a weapon from the armament. I cannot in good will permit you to take the examination and join the martial arts department."

"But my voice also seems to have an affect on Savage as well as the two Hunters that attacked Artorian and I." Sakura countered. "An effective weapon in itself, wouldn't you say? Not only that, but as an Artificial Variant, I can better support Artorian should he require it in the form of energy."

"Tch…" Claire clicked her tongue behind her teeth, hating the fact that despite Sakura's clear avoidance of admitting why she wished to come, her defense was sound. Even with Emilia, having three Variants on board and away from other influences such as her brother or a president of a country would be a much safer bet.

"Besides, being a student wouldn't affect my career as an idol in the slightest." Sakura continued, explaining why it would be the best of both worlds for her. "I know that there are students that have internships on site. So there should be no problem with me going on my tours and spending my free time on Little Garden. It would even decrease the amount of guard labor required to protect me, right?"

"You know… she's kinda got a point." Artorian would calm down as he saw more into Sakura's thought process. The chances of her being a full fledged Slayer was slim, which meant she'd be less likely to be in harms way while in public. And with the ship being a literal training ground for Slayers, there'd be people to protect her at all times.

"…I would have to go over this, for such a sudden request it could cause problems. You would still require some form of protection if you are to be kept on Little Garden." Claire would say, slowly calming herself as she thought it over. "A Slayer should still have some level of authority over your safety."

"Well if that's the case, please make Artorian my exclusive bodyguard." Sakura offered.

 _'Oh here we go…'_ Artorian thought closing his eyes, knowing the pressure in the room's going to go back up again soon.

"What are you talking about!? Artorian is still a first year student; he isn't certified for internships until he is a third year! And with his constant reprehensible behavior and undisciplined nature he has much to learn! I cannot allow that or your admission if you attempt to push that further!" The attempt to calm for the president instantly went away, the attempt at trying to recruit a member of her Selections destroying the chance at a deal.

"Then it can't be helped." Sakura would sigh before her smirk returned. "If that's the case, then have Artorian quit the martial arts department and have him become my exclusive bodyguard."

"Why would I do that!?"

"Why would I allow that!?" Both Artorian and Claire overlapped, demanding the same answer from the idol.

"Why you say? So that I can hire Artorian directly. I'll pay him ten times the salary that he is paid by you. On the contrary, I'll take care of him and Karen for the rest of our lives. How does that sound, Artorian?"

"Do you really think you can just buy me with-wait how much more?"

"Artorian!"

"What!? She's literally offering the best deal I could get in terms of pay!" He shouted at his defense, although sighing as he placed a hand on his head. "I'm starting to get a headache from all this shouting.

 _'This is getting a little tense, but at least it can't get worse.'_

"Huh? Why is Prez here?"

 _'I was wrong… I was very wrong.'_ Moments after his thoughts, Emilia had unlocked and entered the room, now standing behind Claire in her uniform.

"I-I was chasing after Sakura Kirishima who was trespassing into Little Garden and snuck into Artorian's ro-wait…" Claire began to speak, but paused and thought about how Emilia had opened the door without the student council override code she had. "Emile Crossfode, how exactly did you get into this room with your key? Have you not rewritten you're data yet!?"

"Whoops, you caught me." Emilia laughed, caught in the act.

"Crossfode, you broke the promise you made!"

"That isn't the important part here though." Emilia would say, turning her attention to Artorian. "So then Artorian, what kind of things did you do with Sakura while she was here?"

"You are shitting me right now." Artorian responded with a half lidded stare. "Look, there wasn't anything big happening, Sakura was only here for a few minutes and I have been awake for less."

"Yeah, and the reason is a secret." Sakura would continue, smirking to herself as she moved across the bed and hugged herself to Artorian, looking at the two girls mischievously. "It's something that will remain between Artorian and me, and you are not allo~wed to know."

"You are actively trying to make my life harder, I refuse to believe anything else." Artorian sighed, hanging his head as he prepared for the inevitable.

"Hehe, a secret, huh?" Emilia would chuckle darkly, putting on an unconvincing smile as she looked to Artorian. "Would you be as kind to tell me too? I'm very interested."

"Nope, it'll only be between us." Sakura responded, sticking her tongue out to Emilia.

 _'You've spent more time with him, but I won't lose to you Emile.'_

"Ahaha, I see… yeah, Artorian. We're both guys around the same age, and I know our relationship might not give it away but I'm also curious about the secret of girls." Emilia would say, a dark aura surrounding her that actually sent a chill down Artorian's spine. "So for the sake of references in the future, I would like to know with full details… aha, aha, hahahahaha…"

"Okay you're actually scaring me here." He'd inform. "Tone down the murder bells a few pitches, I'm serious when I'm telling you nothing big happened."

"Then why not just tell me now?"

"This is irrelevant at the moment, we must stay on track." Claire would say, stepping towards Artorian's bed before suddenly reaching out and grabbing Sakura, attempting to separate her from Artorian. "Which means we must be going!"

"Wait, what are you doing!?" The idol responded, tightening her hold on Artorian to prevent getting pulled away.

"What you say? This is the male dorm Kirishima, no females are allowed in without explicit permission or authorization. So as it stands you're not presently allowed in, so release Artorian and come with me!"

"Yeah, that's right. It isn't good for women to be in the dorms like this!" Emilia spoke up, moving to the other side of Artorian and grabbing his arm, trying to help pull him away from Sakura. "So Prez, get Sakura and both of you leave this room. If you two keep fighting like this, even more rumors will begin to spread about Artorian and make it harder for him to live here!"

 _'This… got out of hand quicker than I thought it would…'_ Artorian thought as his expression was blank, looking at the wall across him as he took the situation in.

"How dare you try to set yourself aside from this situation!"

"What's about my situation!?"

Seeing the arguing going on and showing no sings of stopping, Artorian would sigh as he remained perfectly in place and closing his eyes. _'I can't believe this is honestly going on, but I shouldn't be this surprised either.'_

"Okay, I think we've had enough fun here for one morning." The hybrid would speak up, shifting his gaze between the three around him. "Let's just all get this over with, starting with everyone letting go of each other."

"No way!"

"No!"

"Not until they're all out!" Sakura, Emilia and Claire all responded, getting a groan from Artorian.

"That wasn't a request." He said reaching his free arm and grabbing the back of Sakura's dress while breaking out of Emilia's grasp and grabbing her shoulder. The Lord than easily picked the two up, Claire releasing her grasp on the idol as he walked to the door and dropped them out of his room.

"You three may settle this out here, I still have to change." He continued on, moving out of the way and stepping back into his room after Claire exited it. "Alright thank you." He'd finish, closing the door behind him before smirking to himself.

 _'So this is what it's like to wake up to the fun stuff rather than being awake for it, I wish I could actually sleep to get this kind of entertainment more.'_

* * *

"Are you both ready?" Charlotte would ask, holding a N-Tranquilizer in her hand, loading it with a single energy charge before aiming it up.

"Yes ma'am." Artorian grinned, getting down into a running position next to Liddy.

"I've been ready for the past three days." Liddy stated, staring straight ahead in the set path for the two. Both were in their variable suits, even with their Hundreds activated to maximize their energy output. However their armaments were left to the side, set next to Mei Mei as she watched from the sidelines of the arena.

"Do your best you two!" The maid cheered, waving her arms in encouragement for the two.

"On your mark." Charlotte would start, placing her finger over the trigger. "Get set!"

"Let's see if your enhancements are all I've built them up to be." Artorian commented, giving the girl a challenging grin as they lowered their stances.

"I won't lose to a first-year, Abyss enhancements or not." Liddy responded, giving her own excited smirk as she planted her feet into the dirt. She had been looking for the opportunity to test herself after her surgery, and she was finally going to get it.

"Go!" Charlotte would announce, pulling the trigger and firing the energy round into the barrier above them.

The second the shot rang, the two Slayers pushed out with all their strength, their send off alone cracking the ground below them and kicking a large amount of dirt up. Focusing their energy into their legs, they would enhance their speed even more and took off at blinding speeds.

The goal of the race was to see which of the Slayers would complete four laps first, and by the time they got to the first corner their paces seemed near even. Due to their speed, they each had to plant a foot solidly into the ground, nearly burying them before taking off again, with even more intense speed this time.

Nearly keeping on pace with each other, they would complete two laps in nearly a minute, Artorian just ahead but by little more than a single pace. While the Slayer was noted to be faster than before their training, the maneuverability she showed was quickly allowing her to surpass Artorian's speed despite his experience in drawing out the physical enhancements he had.

It wasn't until halfway through the third lap did Liddy not only manage to catch up to Artorian, but was starting to pass him with each step. With a glare of determination her entire body began to glow with violet energy, a faint wisp of black trailing it as took off with new speed.

 _'Looks like she's already adapting to it.'_ Artorian noted, giving another grin as he would rush to keep up, although by the fourth lap the distance would be too much to recapture without a massive spike in speed. A speed he himself couldn't achieve without either his Variant powers or drawing it from the Abyss. Neither of which he was willing to use.

"Time!" Charlotte would call out as Liddy passed the finish line, nearly tripping as she grinded her feet in the dirt, digging up rocks as she slid to a halt. Artorian followed shortly after, leaning back and digging his hand into the ground to stop himself sooner.

"Not… bad… Liddy." Artorian would pant, standing back to his full height as he turned to the girl.

"This is much more… like it." Liddy responded, chuckling to herself as she had a better control of her breathing. "I hated waiting so long to finally stretch my legs and test myself."

"We couldn't be too careful, your health was the top concern." Charlotte answered as she holstered the N-Tranquilizer. "We've dealt with hundreds of Vessels back in the early Slayer days, you were put through the same process as they had went through."

"I understand that Dr. Dimandias, I just don't like having to sit around. Especially when I was told as much as I was about the Savage and Lords."

"Well don't go running yourself into the dirt to improve." Artorian said, placing a hand on her shoulder as he did. "This issue's thousands of years old, it isn't going to get solved by the time you properly develop your power. Hell, it might not even get solved within our lifetimes, so pace yourself."

"I'm not a novice, I know my past limits and I'll use that to determine my new ones." Liddy responded, although sighing and giving the Lord a side-glance. "The concern's appreciated."

"You're my Vessel, that makes you my responsibility."

"That was amazing you two!" Mei Mei cheered as she ran down to them. "That was so fast, I haven't seen someone move that fast since Artorian's duel with Claire!"

"Hehe, well that's what happens when all our focus is into speed." Artorian noted. "Liddy's speed was likely more true to what she could do, I'm not normally able to react that fast with my footwork."

"I'm surprised you didn't try to use your Variant energy, you don't seem like someone willing to give a handicap." Charlotte would note, stepping towards the group from her placement.

"I haven't been able to call it out on my own, it's purely been reactive since I first learned I have the virus." Artorian admitted, shrugging as he turned to the scientist. "It doesn't make a lick of sense to me, so I haven't really bothered trying to figure it out."

"I guess it can't be helped, mastering the Variant virus varies based on the person."

"Say that three times fast."

"But excluding that, we still have more tests to go through before the day can be considered over." Charlotte stated, taking out her finished lollipop and pulling out a new one.

"How many of those does she have?"

"I counted six before this one." Liddy and Artorian whispered between each other, getting a humored chuckle from the scientist.

"I guess I may carry a little too many of these, but the craving's too much to just go long without them." She admitted, twirling the finished lollipop stick between her fingers before pointing it to Liddy. "Now then, let's get to the next test shall we?"

"Gladly."

For the next two hours, Liddy would be subjected to physical testing that varied from the last. Each would test the Slayer's limits from strength to maneuverability, endurance and reaction. As each would go by, Charlotte was always taking notes, having a tablet out to record and document any noticeable changes from Liddy's initial examinations.

"It seems Artorian's guess on your increase in physical capabilities was near accurate." Charlotte would inform, going over the data she had gathered in the two hours. "Compared to your physical examination earlier this year, there's a noticeable increase of 48%, and that's excluding combat capabilities."

"I can barely tell." Liddy mentioned, looking down to her hand. Her breathing was slightly labored, noticing but barely feeling any fatigue after the two hours of examination.

"That's from your body adapting." Artorian explained. "The change in your bone and muscle density was so that your new strength wasn't going to cause severe damage to you when you'd use it. On average, you probably won' notice you using your strength."

"Then what's the point of training if I already have control of my limit?"

"Because you lost your control of restraint." Charlotte answered. "The power feels balanced for you, but that just mans you require a more delicate response to everything. Your base strength is much higher now, which means you will need more focus to control it."

"I fail to see it that way. If it's my same scaling than shouldn't it-"

"Think fast!" Artorian would call out, getting Liddy to turn to him as he threw a rock at her.

In the blink of an eye, the Slayer threw her hand out to catch the stone, clasping her fingers around it with precision. However as she tightened her grip, the rock cracked all around before breaking, crumbling to pebbles and shards from the pressure.

"I… I barely…"

"Average scale, more power behind it." The boy spoke as he walked up to Liddy, grabbing her wrist to face her palm up. "Your base strength feels the same to you, but the amount of strength you control is on a different scale. Your physical capabilities require more basis on restraint; there's a bigger gap between each level of strength that you'll need fill in."

"I… I see…" Liddy winced, noticing a fragment of the rock in her palm. "I guess I have a long way to go still then…"

"There's only been one person who's mastered the power of a Vessel in a single day, so don't be hard on yourself." Artorian responded, pulling the shard out swiftly. "You're a quick learner though, that rock would've likely exploded into more pieces and do more damage to anyone else's hand more."

"That doesn't excuse me mistaking my own control. I won't be a help if I can't fully grasp this power, which means I'll have to take things slow."

"Impatient?"

"More anxious, I've never been one to pace myself or wait when there's something I can do now." The Slayer stated, looking to her hand in his grasp as the blood was visibly clotting up the injury already. "I'm in a world I don't understand, as much as I want to hold back, I still feel the need to dive in and get as much out as quickly as possible."

"Diving wouldn't be a smart idea, but running will be fine." Charlotte picked up, walking up to the two as she tucked her tablet under her arm. "Normally a Vessel would be given two to three months to properly develop their senses, however with the increase of Savage attacks and these Hunters appearing, you'll need to be ready as soon as possible."

"You'll do just fine." Artorian encouraged, flashing her a grin as he did. "You're a Vessel of the Wolf Knight, my Vessel. Through and through you'll get the hang of this."

"We'll just have to work harder than in order to get me ready." Liddy grinned in return, tightening her hand into a fist in solidarity. "I don't expect you to0 hold back anything in my training, you hear me?"

"I'm insulted you'd expect any less."

.

.

.

"So are you going to let go of my hand or…?" Liddy asked, referencing to his grip still on her wrist.

"Eh, I don't mind." He'd shrug.

"I do." Liddy said, swiping her wrist free. "Don't think I don't know how you work, I'm not interested in pursuing a fantasy relationship with a man showing interest in three other women and a man."

"Give it time, I'm sure I'll get a crush out of you."

"You're unbelievable."

"Wait, you aren't interested in him?" Mei Mei would ask, tilting her head in confusion.

"Of course not, what would give you that impression?" Liddy returned, looking to the cyber-cat maid.

"Well I mean, you seem rather relaxed around him, even knowing about the Abyss and you see him just like he was before." The woman would explain. "Plus there was that pool incident, I thought people feel embarrassed when someone you like sees you in a position like that?"

"Y-You told her about that!?" Liddy would turn to Artorian, her cheeks flared as she glared at the hybrid.

"Whoops, time to go." He responded, realizing his position and taking off.

"You are not getting away from this you degenerate!" The Slayer shouted in response, chasing after him around the arena. "We made an agreement on not telling anyone about that!"

"I made no such promises! It was too good to pass up!"

"You're dead Artorian!"

"Have to catch me first, One Slip Wonder!"

"They sure have a lot of energy, that's for certain." Charlotte would laugh, Mei Mei stepping up next to her as she watched the two Slayers run.

"So does she not like him?"

"Who knows Mei Mei, teenagers are an anomaly no one can predict." The scientist smiled. "But try to be more delicate on that, it's rude to bring up potential crushes like that."

"I see. Okay! I promise to be more careful when talking to others then!"

"That's a good girl Mei Mei."

"Stop running you coward!"

"Find a reason for me to!"

* * *

"It's almost time." The man from the Zwei Island spoke, his eyes opening to reveal the glowing green iris. Standing up as he remained alone in the middle of a first now, he would look up to the stars with a grin. "I can feel the Exalted coming, any day now and the next step for the Arrival will begin."

"My liege, Ato and Sidero have reported humans scouting at the outskirts of the forest." The grey iron man spoke, walking to his leader before kneeling. "We also detect traces of magic, we believe a Lord may be here with them to set up a base for operations."

"Good, they know as well." The leader said, turning to his knight. "Our fellow Lords will participate, so do not let your guard down. Have a tracer spell on them at all times, and make sure if the royal blood are involved."

"Of course, my liege. Is there anything else we should prepare for?"

"The son of Ornstein, he is among this "Little Garden" correct?" The leader would question, getting a nod before he turned and grabbed his weapon. "I wish to meet him, I require your assistance in order to divert him to us when he inevitably comes." The leader then pulled his weapon out from the ground, revealing a massive swordspear that pulsed with lightning.

"I understand, my liege."

* * *

 **(A/N): A bit more of a simple chapter in comparison to the previous, but I didn't feel the need to over complicate this one. Soon we'll be getting into the thick of the next arc, and I have to say I'm getting excited for when I get to it. The fight with the Hunters is a fight I've been going over a bit to determine how it goes and I think i got the right pace down for me. As well as a little added variables into the mix to keep it from being too predictable.**

 **I hope this chapter was a good hold over, and I will see you in the next one. Peace!**


	18. The Heart of Little Garden

"It's the seeeeeeeea!" Reitia cheered as she ran past Matthew, Emilia and Artorian as she ran towards the ocean from the sandy beach.

"Well she seems excited." Artorian chuckled as he was setting up his own chair, his sword impaled into the sand next to him as he did. "You'd think we weren't surrounded by water 24/7 on Little Garden."

"She hasn't been to a beach in roughly three years, it's been killing her not to come here because of classes and her induction into Selections." Matthew answered, simply setting his seat up before taking his shirt off.

"I think it's cute." Emilia laughed as she sat down on her chair, wearing a pair of shorts and a loose shirt. She was the only one coming that didn't have a swimsuit on, an obvious downside to her secret identity.

"Well she should be careful about just jumping in, even though it's a clear day the water at this part of the world is-"

"COOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLDDD!"

"That, it's that." Artorian nearly cracked up at hearing Retia shrieked at the revelation, the Slayer in training running back to the shore temporarily after her long jump into the water.

It was the first Sunday of July, and Little Garden had sailed across a portion of the sea from the Zwei Islands. The battleship was currently now cruising across Ryukyu, a small chain of islands past the southern tip of Yamato. And given the scenery and great weather the day had, the Slayers of Selections had decided it would be perfect to enjoy it to the fullest.

They weren't allowed to leave the ship as per regulations; however it was brought to the Abysswalker's attention that there was an artificial beach, another addition to his long list of things that he wondered why they were on a battleship but wouldn't complain about.

"Poor Reitia." Emilia said, albeit with a small chuckle as Reitia shivered slightly.

"Why didn't you warn me!?" The girl would shout back to Artorian, flashing her teeth as she did.

"You didn't ask! Not my fault you actually used energy to jump as far as you could into cold water!" He shouted in return. "Besides, it's the fucking ocean! Of course it's going to be cold!"

"It's July, it shouldn't be this cold!"

"We're not even on a real beach, its still the middle of the Gods damn ocean!"

"Yeah well… hmph!" Reitia pouted as she looked away, her eyes still narrowed as her shivering stopped. "Still should have warned me."

"Whatever." Artorian chuckled, rolling his eyes in amusement over the girl's antics. Out of everyone he's met at Little Garden, the tiny brawler was by far the most childish. Outside of combat she was a rather interesting specimen, one he was actually glad to meet and become friends with.

Although he could tell Matthew kept an especially close eye on the Abysswalker when Reitia was around; as the Dragon Slayer was even now.

 _'Guess the Starving Lion's got a soft spot after all.'_

"Oh Artorian~. Thank you for waiting." At hearing the familiar voice, the hybrid would turn to see Sakura, Karen and Miharu all approaching, each in their own bathing suits. Sakura was by technical standards a member of the martial arts department, although extremely loosely as she doesn't actively participate in class or sparring. Whereas Karen and Miharu were allowed due to Karen's connection to Artorian and the nurses need to be nearby to care for her.

"For you three, I'm more than willing to wait for a bit." Artorian chuckled, crossing his arms as Sakura was the first to get close, winking before taking a rather provocative pose.

"So what do you think of my swimsuit, Artorian?" The idol would ask, smiling brightly. In taking the chance to look at her from head to toe, Artorian couldn't help but bless the idea of a bikini, the pink two-piece more than drawing attention to her curves. From the way it clung to her modest chest and remarkable hips, the idol certainly knew how to pick the right wear to draw attention from the Lord.

"Since Karen's here, I'll go with the more PG answer." He'd say, smirking as he gave his own wink to the idol. "It's certainly an amazing view to behold."

"Yay~" Sakura would beam, grateful for the response. "That get's you a nice 80 points."

"Drat, the PG kept it from the 90 didn't it?' The two would joke, finding humor in the idol's little point game now.

"A-Artorian?" Karen would speak up from her wheelchair, the two both turning to her as she poked her fingers together. "What do you think of my swimsuit?" The girl's was a much more simple swimsuit, a dark purple one-piece with a white decal of a rose on her shoulder.

"It looks cute on you Karen." Artorian would smile, his expression more genuine with his response as he did. "It even looks like it was made for you."

"Ehehe, you think so?" Karen would giggle in return, happily accepting the compliment. "Miharu took me out yesterday after your visit to go shopping for one, which means the time we spent was fruitful."

"That's what you were doing?" Artorian asked, looking up to the nurse. "You should have told me, I would've come and helped out." The Lord spoke rather regretful, seeing that the nurse already had a lot on her plate to deal with in her field.

"No no, it's perfectly fine; I was more than happy to spend a little time with Karen outside of the hospital." Miharu responded, wanting to dispel Artorian's worries. "It was fun to try on a few suits with her, I was even able to find mine for the year."

"I guess, but I feel like I should have paid since you took her out on your own time." He would say before his gaze wandered, taking the time to see the swimsuit that Miharu was wearing. Out of all the women present, the nurse was actually the most conserving in her choice of swimwear; a dress like suit rather than a one-piece or a bikini with a flower pattern across it. "Yours looks good too, it brings out your eyes very well."

"Fufu, thank you very much." The nurse would smile. "It's not very special, but it's comfortable for me. I couldn't imagine wearing something such as Sakura's swimsuit."

"It's probably for the best, you'd have way too much power over everyone if you wore a bikini." Artorian joked, his gaze remaining on the nurse for a bit longer to enjoy her figure more.

"Hey! Stop looking at her boobs, you womanizer…" Sakura would call out, pouting her lips as she gave the boy a glare.

"Sorry Sakura, but I am an appreciator of the female form." The hybrid responded, shrugging his shoulders playfully as he did. "There's just so many beautiful women with amazing traits though, the difficulty of being around such prime examples."

"Oh my, to be interested in the breasts of a woman years older than you such as myself. Such a forward stance to have." Miharu would teased, emphasizing her breasts by crossing run arm under them with an alluring smile.

"What can I say, they are quite eye catching in their own right. Nurse outfit, sweater or swimsuit alike."

"Indecent Artorian…"

"Pervert…"

Both Karen and Emilia would give their own pouts at the boy's admission, three of the four women around him giving him their own disappointed looks while the nurse continued to smile.

"Hey Matthew! Come over here quick! There's so many beautiful fish in here, they even look like they're tropical!" Reitia called from the water, waving her arms out to the hybrid as she put on snorkels and a pair of goggles after getting used to the water.

"Fish, really? That's what you're excited about?" Matthew muttered to himself, shaking his head before grabbing his own pair of snorkels and goggles, knowing he'd get an earful if he didn't. "Alright I'm coming."

"Hurry up! They'll swim away if you don't!"

"Reitia's so energetic." Karen would say with a hint of jealousy, seeing the girl mentioned grin excitedly as Matthew followed her in the water. "I want to go in the sea too…"

"Is it okay if she does Miharu?" Sakura would ask, looking to the nurse.

"Of course, her therapy sessions have been going well." Miharu answered. "But remember not to push yourself too hard. Don't go anywhere deep or where the waves get too big, and if you feel exhausted please come back right away."

"Of course Miharu, I promise!" Karen would smile brightly, attempting to push herself up from her wheelchair.

"Here, let me help you." Sakura would respond, aiding in Karen's rise to her feet. After their reunion at her concert, the two's bond was growing more and more. The time apart doing nothing to break the bond they had years ago.

Seeing Karen on her feet, Artorian couldn't help but stare in nostalgia, his lips curved up in a thin smile. It had been years since she last was able to stand up, and seeing her with so much excitement with a friend like Sakura made the years of hard work to get her this far all felt worth it.

 _'She's on the right track.'_

"Are you going to come too Artorian?" Karen would ask, Sakura carefully allowing her to stand on her own but remaining at the ready to help if she needs it.

"Nah, I think I'm going to hang out here for a bit." He admitted. "I've been training and working non-stop for the past two weeks, I think a nice break would do me some good." He then placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair as he smiled down to her. "You just go and play with Sakura, enjoy yourself."

"O-Okay." Karen would smile back, seeing his visible relief at her encouraging her and Sakura to head for the water.

"It really is a relief to have Sakura here." Miharu would comment, the two watching as they would step into the water, both shivering for a second at the temp before laughing. "Maybe it wasn't necessary for me to come with her around."

"Nonsense, you're the medical professional here." Artorian stated, looking back to the nurse over his shoulder. "If anything happens you're the only one capable of helping. I know a bit but you're the crown jewel in taking care of Karen."

"Thank you Artorian, that means a lot coming from you." The nurse would smile gracefully.

"So what are you going to do with your free time?"

"I might just sit in the shade and read a book, maybe work on a tan if I feel like it." Miharu answered, bringing Karen's wheelchair over to her beach chair before opening her parasol.

"A tan? You'd need some more sunscreen if you do that." Artorian chuckled, the nurse picking up and giving her own smile.

"I suppose I would, but I might need some help getting it on."

"I'd be more than glad to help if you need it." He'd wink, the two sharing a small chuckle. "To make sure you don't get burned, obviously."

"Of course, it has nothing to do with getting to feel and rub a woman's body in such an intimate position."

"Absolutely."

"Hrrrrrmmmmm…!" Emilia would groan at the two's less than subtle proposition, curling her knees up to her chest when she sat down on her chair.

"Oops, looks like Emile's getting jealous." Artorian chuckled, waving the nurse off as he headed for his chair. "Call me over when you want that lotion on, and enjoy your reading."

"I will, just be sure not to ignore her for too long." Miharu responded, smiling before resting down and opening her book.

 _'Why'd she say it like that?'_ Artorian would think before getting to his chair, taking the backrest down to have it leaned back more.

"Hey Emile, enjoying the sun?"

"Oh, so you do know I'm here." Emilia would pout, looking away as the Lord sat on his chair.

"Oh come on, don't be like that." He'd smile. "I just have to give everyone some love, can't have all the special moments between us guys can I?"

"Doesn't mean you should be ogling every girl around you. You know it isn't fair out here for me."

"Yeah, but just because you can't show off doesn't mean you don't look good." He'd respond, taking his shirt off to leave himself in his grey swimsuit. "Seeing you out of the uniform is definitely a step up in my opinion."

Emilia would blush at his words, looking over her shoulder to see him lay back with his arms crossed behind his head. Of course she couldn't take her shirt off, revealing the wrappings that hide her breasts would be an obvious source of questions with her having received no injuries to fall back on. But seeing the Lord without his on was a start for him to make up for his flirting, the princess' eyes lingering on his torso before he looked over to her.

"And you have a problem with me ogling?"

"I-It's different!" She responded, although relaxing before sitting back on her chair. "So you aren't going to swim?"

"Nah, I got a problem with that concept. Although I will be working on that eventually." The hybrid would admit, relaxing while shifting his gaze to the right. A few feet away was the student council, their beach chair's protected form the sun by their parasol's as they remained there. Similar to when they were at the pool, Erica was reading her book while Claire rested on her front, the blonde's hair untied and flowing in the gentle breeze.

The only difference from the previous sight was Liddy, who had her own book with roughened edges. The Lord recognized it as one of the books he gave her, the symbol on it revealing it to be the annals of Lordran's Abysswalkers.

 _'Good, she's doing some of her own homework.'_ He'd think, before his stare going back to Claire. _'I wonder if she's gotten any clue about what's happening…'_

"Artorian…" Emilia spoke warningly, getting the hybrid's attention again as he saw her glare. "You're staring at Prez again, you're not checking her out are you?"

"Hehe, whoops. Looks like you caught me again Emile." He grinned playfully, keeping the reason for his stare secret to play with the girl. "Gods, you and Karen both just always seem to figure me out." He'd add, getting comfortable and closing his eyes to fully relax himself, enjoying the warmth the suns rays gave him.

"Jerk…"

"I love you too Emile."

* * *

For the next half hour, the Slayers would all be able to enjoy themselves without issues. As Artorian and Emilia would idly talk, Matthew and Reitia were looking at the fish in the created reefs, and the student council resting, recovering from the harsh training they've been putting themselves through.

Although while they were relaxing, Sakura and Karen were enjoying themselves by splashing each other with the water. They couldn't go deep with Karen's condition, but they were safe enough with the water up to their knees as they played in the water. The two were smiling brightly as they splashed, genuine laughter brightening the whole atmosphere for those who could hear them.

 _'They've earned this.'_ Artorian would think with a smile, opening a single eye to see the two girls playing. From the experiences he knew Karen had been through, being able to play like this again was a gift from the gods, even if she was limited in what she could do. And for Sakura, the reunion with a long lost friend was everything she needed after the horrid experiments she had gone through.

"They sure are having fun, aren't they?" Emilia would say, giving her own smile as she watched the two. "I haven't seen Karen smile this much outside of when we'd all eat out together."

"Yeah, it's nice to see her enjoy herself."

"Are you sure you don't want to be out there with them?" She asked, looking back to the Lord. "I'm sure they'd like it and... and I can handle keeping an eye on your sword for you."

"You don't have to pretend that you aren't jealous you can't enjoy yourself." Artorian responded, turning his gaze to her. "Karen and Sakura are having plenty of fun by themselves, and I wouldn't want to just let you get all lonely. And besides, I wasn't joking when I said I'm using this chance to relax. I've been training everyday since Sakura showed up again and this has been the best break I've gotten."

"Thank you." Emilia smiled, happy to hear the Lord's willingness to stay. "You know… speaking of training, you've been doing that a lot with Liddy right?"

"Yeah, gotta say she packs a real wallop." He'd admit, cracking his neck in remembrance to one of her hits. "She's definitely a part of Selections for a reason, I can barely keep up with her."

"Seriously? After the fight with the Trenta I thought you'd be a lot better than her?"

"That was a stroke of bad luck, that thing would've knocked just about any of us out if it hit us." Artorian stated, opening his eyes and sitting up as he thought back to his training with Liddy. "I have strength over Liddy, but she has plenty to spare and has me outclassed in speed. She's the better Slayer, plain and simple."

"Yah, but you're still a great Slayer yourself, you just need more experience with your Hundred and get a grasp on your Variant powers." Emilia encouraged, giving him a grin as she did. "After you get that down, you'd be the best Slayer on Little Garden hand's down, even Prez wouldn't be able to fight you."

"I doubt it'll be that easy, but the encouragement is adorable." Artorian would chuckle in return. "But I still have to prove myself her equal before I can do that. Which means I have to prove I'm the strongest in Selections next to her, so watch your back, ya hear?"

"Me, but I-"

"Don't even try that shit Emile." He interrupted, curling his hand into a fist and tapping it against her chest. "You have your Variant abilities under control, you should've had no problem dealing with the Trenta if you focused on being your own fighter rather than a support. Hell, I bet if you unlocked your Full-Body Armament you'd give Matthew and Claire both a run for their money right now."

"But I'm… I'm not a natural born fighter like you."

"The situation of one's birth is irrelevant. Work yourself till you drop, continue to grow and fight as hard as you can; and you'll see you're more than capable of keeping up with the best of them." The hybrid then smiled as he placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze as he did. "You're strong, stronger than even me right now. It'd be a shame for that potential to go to waste."

"If you have that kind of faith in me, then I won't disappoint!" Emilia responded, tightening her hand into a fist as she stared in determination at him. "And if we do eventually fight to prove who's the best, I won't hold anything back!"

"That's what I like to hear."

"Karen!" At the sound of Sakura's shout of concern, both Slayers' heads snapped to attention. In the midst of picking up water to splash Sakura, a decent sized wave had come in and knocked her off balance. Sakura was attempting to reach for her, but it was clear she wouldn't be able to grab her in time.

As Karen braced herself for the horrid pain that would come from falling, she was caught off guard when she felt herself remain in place, drops of water hitting her face as she slowly opened her eyes. Looking up, she would see that Artorian had cleared the gap in a single leap, catching her in a princess carry and looking down to her in concern.

"Are you okay?" He'd ask as he stood up, the water going up to his waist as he slid from the sand in the water.

"Ah… um yes I… sorry about that." Karen apologized, relaxing in Artorian's arms as he walked back towards the shore. "I got a little carried away and I… I'm sorry if I had you concerned."

"I'm always going to be concerned, I'm just happy to know you're okay." He'd respond, slowly lowering her so that her feet touched the sand first. "Are you alright to walk? I can bring you over to your wheelchair if you need."

"N-No, I'm fine." Karen would promise, holding herself close to Artorian as she attempted to regain her footing.

"Karen, are you alright?" Sakura would ask, running out of the water to the pair as Karen was just getting her bearings on standing again.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine Sakura." Karen answered. "Artorian's always here to help me, I shouldn't have been surprised he was able to catch me."

"Thank goodness." Sakura would sigh, looking to the Slayer. "I'm sorry Artorian, I should have been more aware and stopped her before the wave came-"

"It's fine Sakura." He interrupted. "I knew it'd eventually happen, I was just lucky you were able to get my attention in time. So don't beat yourself up over it."

"Thank you…" Sakura would sigh, grateful both for Karen's safety and knowing that Artorian didn't blame her for the situation. "…By the way, how long are you going to hold her like that?"

"Hmmm?" Both Artorian and Karen hummed, confused by the sudden question.

"It's just kind of a weird position, you almost look like a pair of lovers." The idol explained, pointing to the two. And to an extent, she would be correct. Artorian was carefully holding the girl to him, her head resting against his torso as she was regaining her balance; a position that would appear as a tender moment.

"I-I-It isn't like… kyaah!" Feeling her face turn bright red, Karen would separate herself from the Slayer, turning away to avoid him seeing her face.

"Karen?"

"It's nothing… I-I'm just feeling better now."

"Wow, convincing." Artorian said with a deadpanned expression.

"It's of no concern to you!" She'd say, albeit with a small squeak as her face was still flushed with embarrassment.

* * *

"Oh wow!" Karen would say with excitement, her eyes shinning in the light as she sat next to Artorian.

"See, I told you this would be fun too." Artorian would say, smiling at the girl's interest as he used his finger to carve out a small window.

After Karen's near fall, the hybrid used his authority as her best friend to say that was enough playing in the water for the day. And after they, Sakura, Miharu and Emile had a small lunch break he decided to show Karen another way to have fun while on the beach.

"I'm surprised Artorian, I didn't think you'd know how to build a sandcastle." Miharu would admit, giving a small laugh at Karen's interest at the decently made formation.

"It's not too difficult when you have a steady hand." He shrugged. "Hey Karen, do you want to try and carve your own window?"

"Can I?"

"Of course, just be careful." He'd say, chuckling as Karen turned to the sandcastle. "It's even more fragile than you, so too much pressure could cause some damage."

"Okay!"

"They all seem to be having fun." Claire would comment, looking out to them from the corner of her eye. "It looks like this small break was exactly what everyone needed."

"I agree, the fight against the Hunters seemed to have the others on edge with the aspect of a mission that would result in encountering them again." Erica noted. "If I didn't know better, I'd almost say that Artorian himself appeared concerned at the idea as well."

"He wasn't, he feels confident that with their variable suits that they'd have been able to match them, although the Hunters being Artificial Variants made him cautious to letting them outnumber us." Liddy responded, not looking up from her book as she turned the page.

"Something you picked up from your time training with him?" Claire would ask, looking over to her friend and getting a nod in return. "Did he expressively say that, or did you gather that from him mentioning them?"

"He told me directly, he isn't entirely subtle talking about probability of success in fights."

"You've spent a few days training with him, was there anything else you could get on him?" Erica would ask. "We only have the limited data of his match with Claire, Reitia and his first mission."

"His Savage combat wasn't a fluke for the most part, his style heavily incorporates moves that are meant to stun or destroy one. However his one-on-one duels leave much to be desired, I believe even if he could control his Variant abilities he would've lost to Claire in their duel without forcing her to fight with everything she has."

"Interesting, I assume you've had full contact sparring then?" Claire questioned, getting another nod. "How many of them have you won?"

"Ten matches, ten victories." She answered, surprising the two. "As I said, he isn't adept at singles combat. He's a tough opponent, but he lacks the speed in order to fight opponents that would otherwise be on par with him. Although his reaction time is high, he may not have been able to avoid my attacks but his eyes were always following mine, he knew where the attacks would come from."

"So he lacks experience in fighting proper opponents, that shouldn't be surprising." Claire would mutter to herself, turning herself over to rest on her back to look up. "And what about the Variant virus, has it shown any signs of acting out of control during your training?"

"None, I doubt he's activated it in combat since the battle against the Trenta. Dr. Dimandias believes his… natural limits may prevent him from using it until he has a better grasp on his energy control." Liddy explained, stopping herself from revealing too much from her training with the Abysswalker. "He's a quick learner, he'll likely figure it out in time."

"Having three Variants in control of their powers would be beneficial, but it'd be dangerous to rely on them." Erica stated.

"We won't be, they're our comrades so we'll be fighting alongside them." Claire said, closing her eyes as she contemplated her friends' words. "We're also their seniors as Slayers, it's our duty to help guide them and provide the proper training in order to develop their skills."

"Of course Claire."

"You've done well to help him Liddy, I'm sure with your help he'll become a true Slayer in no time."

"Well… that's what I aim to do." Liddy had to keep up her appearance, hiding the fact the training between them was more to assist her in controlling her new found strength and speed rather than aid Artorian's development.

"Oi, three council stooges!" After a few minutes, the three Slayers would hear Artorian call out to them, the Lord standing alongside the others with a challenging grin.

"What is it Artorian?" Claire would ask, raising an eyebrow at his expression.

"We're going to be having a little game of volleyball, care to join in?"

"You're asking us to play as well?" Erica questioned.

"Yeah, kinda the point behind "care to join in" isn't it four-eyes?" Artorian responded. "Look, Reitia wants teams bigger than two, and we have an uneven number of participants. You three would balance it out, and it wouldn't kill at least two of you to get some sun."

"What are you talking about, we've been tanning this whole time." Claire stated, getting a few seconds of laughter from him.

"Ahahahahahaha-no. Hanging out under an umbrella with its shade over you isn't tanning, and your pale asses are the only evidence I really need to my point." He'd shrug, closing his eyes while grinning with entertainment. "Not that they aren't good sights regardless."

"Your shamelessness knows no bounds, does it?' Erica asked, giving the boy a half lidded stare while shifting her glasses.

"None I haven't found yet. So you three in or not?"

"If you wish to be shown how outclassed you are, then we'll gladly join." Claire stated, getting up as she returned his smirk with her own, a competitive aura surrounding the two as she did. "We'll consider this another unofficial rematch then?"

"Now you're talking my language blondie."

"Yes! Teams of four, this is going to be good!" Reitia cheered with excitement, grinning as she held the volleyball in her hands.

"You may have to rain check that." Matthew said, his ears perking up at the same time as Artorian and Liddy's.

"What, but there isn't even a cloud in the sky. Why would we-?" Reitia would start to ask before the sounds of propellers slowly crept into her ears, getting closer and closer by the second.

Before long a helicopter became visible coming in the distance, approaching Little Garden before hovering over the beach.

"That's the Warslran crest." Matthew pointed out, noting the symbol on the helicopter's side as he covered Reitia's eyes, preventing any sand hitting her as it would be sent all around.

"That's the WL-02." Claire noted, recognizing the pattern of the paint on the helicopter. "Don't tell me that means it's Judal… big brother?"

"Wait, big brother? That means… the president of Warslran is here right now!?" Reitia would question, taking Matthew's hand off her eyes to check, only to get hit by a puff of sand. "Ah, my eyes!"

"I tried to help."

 _'Great, now I have to deal with him in person.'_ Artorian thought in distain as he covered Karen's eyes and protected her from the sand, the girl still sitting off of her wheelchair on the beach.

Once the helicopter landed, several seconds would go by as the propeller would die down, slowing until it eventually came to a stop and stopped sending sand everywhere. When the aircraft was fully landed, the door would then open and a ramp would extend down.

Two people would then step out from the inside onto the ramp, one man and the other a woman. The man was easily identified as Judal Harvey, his bright blue eyes and long blonde hair pegging him rather easily as related to Claire. Not only that, but several of his features appeared almost identical to the Slayer, albeit with more masculine and definition in comparison to her. The woman on the other hand appeared much more simple, with a basic bobcat haircut and brown eyes. She also had a Warslran uniform on, signifying her as Judal's bodyguard.

"This is a rather surprise visit, Judal." Claire would say, walking past everyone to stand closest to her brother once he stepped off the ramp. Behind her, Artorian couldn't help but give a look of annoyance to the man, his entire appearance matching the annoying aura his voice on the phone gave.

"It's been a year since my last visit, I wished to see my little sisters again." Judal would say, his expression calm while he smiled to Claire. "And as expected of my little sister Claire, that swimsuit fits you perfectly."

"Your flattery will not get anywhere." Claire responded, crossing her arms under her chest while she stared sternly at her brother. "So what are you doing on Little Garden?"

"Well, while I was here to see you two, I also wished to personally meet the new faces that will be apart of Warslran." Judal spoke, his gaze turning to Emilia as he did. "You're Emile Crossfode, yes?"

"O-Oh, yeah that's me." Emilia would say, surprised that she would be the one called out first.

"I hear you have a rather impressive Hundred reaction, one that even surpassed my little sister, a most impressive feat to say." He'd say, giving a smile to her as he continued on. "And to possess the Virus of the Gods, I expect many great things from you in the future."

His words were pleasant, but Emilia couldn't help but feel a chill go down her spine at his voice. It felt cold, calculated and informed, as if he was saying "I know exactly who you are" to the extent that he saw through her like it was nothing.

"And you're Matthew Ornisium, correct?" Judal would continue on, looking to the hybrid. "I believe we've met before?"

"When I was inducted as a Slayer." Matthew answered, keeping his expression blank while regarding the man.

"Ah yes, Ornstein himself was present as well for that. Well if you're anything like your father was, you'll be a valuable addition to Warslran, no to humanity in our battle against the Savage." He'd then turn to Reitia, the girl finishing getting the sand out of her eyes as he did. "And you must be Reitia Saintemillion?"

"Y-Yes sir-I mean boss-I mean-!" Matthew would stop the girl's rambling's by tapping her head, snapping her out of her stupor and calming her. "Yes, Reitia Saintemillion reporting, sir!"

"No need to be so formal, you're a Slayer regarding a regular man." Judal would chuckle at her recovery. "Matthew spoke highly of you when used as a reference for your induction into Selections; brutally honest, but highly spoken. And with such a high Hundred reaction, I'm sure you'll rise through the ranks if you put your effort into it."

"Th-Thank you sir."

"And the auspicious son himself." Judal would finish, looking to Artorian as the Lord stood back up from in front of Karen. "I heard you've already made a name for yourself after battling a Trenta Savage, nothing less expected from the son of Artorias."

"Apologize." Artorian said simply, getting half the group to stare at him in shock at the demand. "Our sandcastle, Karen worked hard on putting details in it. And you ruined it when you landed here out of nowhere. So, apologize."

A deafening silence fell between the two as they remained in place, the tension in the air rising despite the clear capabilities difference between the two. It was as if the two recognized each other as equals, undesired but earned equals. And the stance they had showed their understanding that the other had an advantage in the given situation.

"…Of course." Judal would eventually say, putting on an innocent smile as he looked to Karen in the sand. "Karen Kisaragi, I'm sorry for coming unannounced the way I did. I ruined your sandcastle and that was rude of me, I hope you can forgive me."

"O-Of course, it's okay." Karen would mutter, ducking her head to hide more behind Artorian to avoid being seen directly by the man. She couldn't tell why, but she knew Artorian registered the man as a threat, and if he saw Judal as such she trusted his judgment completely.

"Thank you." Judal responded before looking back to Artorian. "Now then, I believe there's some business that I would like to attend to. Artorian, if you would be so kind as to follow me?"

"Give me one good reason."

"It would be in your best interest, I simply wish to extend a level of trust to you." Judal would say, extending his hand to the side in a sign of his lowered guard. "I promise you it's a situation that could use your… unique traits. And as a further sign of faith, Neveah will remain here."

"Sir I can't leave you with this…" Neveah, Judal's bodyguard would begin to say, stopping herself to whisper to him rather than openly speak. "This abomination."

"Oi, this abomination's got damn good ears." Artorian growled as he looked to the woman, grabbing his sword from the sand and twisting it in his grasp before resting it on his shoulder. "Wanna talk smack, have the guts to say it out loud for everyone."

"I will be fine Neveah, I'm sure Artorian wouldn't want to risk anything by making a move too out of line." Judal would say, reassuring his bodyguard while keeping a sharp gaze on the Lord. "And it's not as though I'm a threat, not to the likes of him."

"Tch!"

 _'Cheap shotting bastard.'_ Artorian thought as he clenched his teeth. He knew that Judal's words had more weight to them, albeit said both directly and in undertone. He was completely right, Artorian could bury him hundreds of feet into the dirt without much effort, less if he wanted to. But Judal wasn't a risk to him, his authority in Warslran gave him the ability to completely overturn Karen's treatment, making the past two months meaningless and putting her in jeopardy.

Letting his rage go away, Artorian would release the tension built up in him before taking a step forward. "Where are you planning on going?"

"Somewhere special." Judal promised. "I'll allow you to change, and then I may introduce you to someone who I feel has been interested in properly meeting you for awhile."

"Just point and I'll be there." The hybrid growled, heading back to grab his stuff from his seat.

 _'Just what are you doing Judal?'_ Claire would think, watching as her brother and Artorian left the beach. She knew her brother had a hand in enrolling Artorian, but seeing the way Artorian reacted to him as well as how he spoke of him before she couldn't imagine it was on good terms. Which makes her wonder what gave him a tight enough leash to get the Lord to give up so easily?

 _'Don't tell me…'_ She'd narrow her eyes, seeing the look of concern on Karen's expression as the two disappeared from sight, getting her to tighten her fist. _'So that's it, isn't it Judal?'_

* * *

"This shit better be important." Artorian would grunt, fixing the tie on his uniform as he and Judal entered the elevator at the center of the battleship.

"Oh I promise you Artorian, this is very important." Judal promised, holding his PDA up to the screen over the buttons on the elevator, a red light appearing as it identified him. "What I'll show you is the lifeblood of this vessel, a vital piece in my plans."

"Oh really now?" Artorian responded, the elevator descending while the men stood still. "And what's the reason to actually show me it? You already have me by the neck with Karen, you don't need my trust when you have that."

"True, Kisaragi's situation is most favorable for me, especially with the last Abyssal now in the ranks of Warslran." Judal's comment caused the Lord to clench his teeth again, getting an entertained hum from the CEO while he looked forward. "But no, this isn't for you to trust me. No, I wish to simply test something. And you're the one I feel would be the better choice for this."

"And what's to stop me from sabotaging it for the future?"

"Well I don't feel you would do that. Besides, I'm sure she wouldn't appropriate it."

"She?"

At Artorian's question, the elevator would slow before stopping suddenly, the door opening to a dimly lit room with dozens of power conduits all spreading around. A single look was all the hybrid needed to figure they were in the reactor room, but remained hesitant as he and Judal stepped out into the room.

"Little Garden, it's the most technologically advanced vessel Warslran has ever created." Judal would begin, the pair walking down the path towards a pod at the center, the object glowing bright blue and was the source of all the conduits. "From the required power for everyday life on the ship, there's also the need to power all the weapons and fortifications present. As well as the energy barrier that protects the ship at all times."

"The amount of energy required to run Little Garden is massive, more than any generator created by the hands of man. We're still decades away from achieving such a level of power, unlike the Lords that have had such advanced abilities for untold millennium."

When they were close enough, Artorian would have to put a hand to his eyes to block the light, feeling the raw energy course out around him. All the functions it powered and yet it was still releasing an abundance this close put him on guard. Humans had no chance of creating an energy source this strong, Charlotte was good but he never believed she could make something so advanced.

"What is this?" He'd ask, trying to se through the light, his eyes slowly adapting thanks to the Abyss.

"This… is the heart and soul of Little Garden. The crown jewel of Warslran and our key to defeating both the Gods of this world, and the Gods that seek our destruction from the stars." Judal would say, turning just in time as Artorian's eyes adapted to see through the light. "This… is Liza."

Once his eyes could see, the Lord's would stare in confusion before turning to shock at what glowed before him. Past all the light, past the glass that struggled to contain so much raw energy, rested a young girl who looked no older than fourteen. She remained in place, rested in the center of the pod thanks to what appeared to be vines made out of pure golden energy. Her hair was straight and long, matching the level of harmony that could be felt along the overwhelming energy that was coming off her.

But what drew Artorian's attention were the features of her appearance. Her familiar blonde hair was one thing, but seeing her face told a thousand stories to him. Despite the more petite appearance from both age and development, he recognized her from another. And if he could guess accurately, should her eyes have opened he would have also seen identical blue eyes to the man standing before him.

"You…" Artorian growled, his shock turning to anger as he ran right to Judal, hitting him against the pod and keeping him in place with his right forearm. His eyes were wide with rage; his lips snarled up to reveal his teeth slowly sharpening. "What the hell did you do to her!?"

"Temper Abyssal, temper." Judal would say, keeping a calm expression despite the initial loss of air and being slammed and held up against the pod holding his sister. "I needn't tell you what would happen if you did something regretful?"

"You can instead tell me why you turned your little sister into a fucking battery!" The Lord shouted, pulling his arm back to press the tip of his blade against Judal's chest. "And I'm going to warn you now, if I even think for a second that you're saying anything but the truth I'll carve you like a fucking pumpkin!"

"I did not do this to her-ngh! Not in the way you believe." Judal would state, grunting as Artorian pressed his arm more against his throat. "Liza was put into a critical condition during a mission, she's been comatose for three years now."

"That doesn't answer why you turned her into a fucking tool!"

"Liza connected to the hardware she was placed in to communicate. She asked us to do it, requested Dr. Dimandias herself to help use her power."

"Bullshit! Charlotte would never agree to using a little kid as a piece of hardware!"

"She knows better than anyone her importance, she couldn't let her power go to waste." Judal argued, remaining calm in spite of Artorian's eyes turning gold. "You can feel it, you're a Variant. The amount of energy that she produces, it's too much for her body to contain in this state. Having her power Little Garden allows her to safely release the energy without harming herself or others around her. You must understand that much."

"You don't honestly think I believe that's the only reason this has happened, do you?" Artorian growled, his voice calming while his fury still raged. "I can feel the energy, but that's not all. You've done something to her; no human physically could ever achieve this much energy. So what. Did. You. DO?"

"I didn't do anything." The blond answered. "Vitaly's research came as a response to my little sister, it was not the source. She had this energy when I was a kid."

The Lord had nothing but resent for the man before him, and he had more than enough power to act out on him. But even if Karen's health wasn't at risk, the hybrid found himself relenting slightly. He hated Judal for using Karen as a means to control him, but the man wasn't lying. If he was, things may have gone differently than as they are now.

"Why bring me here?" Artorian questioned, stepping back from Judal and allowing him to breathe, taking his forearm off his throat.

"Despite your ideas of me, my ideals are to secure humanity's survival in this world." Judal started, rubbing his neck as he took a healthy deep intact of air. "My little sisters are both some of the best chances my people have against not only the Savage, but the Lords should they deem us as too much trouble for our worth. We both know what will be the case should Gwyn suspect we are planning on usurping the Age of Fire."

"Get to the fucking point." Artorian already knew of this. Despite his father's heritage and history as a Knight of Gwyn, he held humanity to a higher regard during his days fighting the Savage before the official First Attack. And Gwyn for all his "wisdom" was a paranoid leader. If humanity grew too powerful too quickly, there's no doubt he'd wipe humans out for the sake of "containment".

"I believe you may have the ability to wake Liza up." Judal answered, placing his hand on the glass to Liza's pod. "You and her share the Blood of the Exalted; the pure Variant virus is coursing through your veins. It's been theorized that your energy may calm her energy and allow her to awaken."

"Why not get Emile, he's better at using his virus than me."

"Believe me, Emilia is an excellent Slayer and has much potential as a Variant, however she simply lacks the level of will required to reach out through pure energy." Judal detailed. "She at best would potentially give Liza a moment of relief. Your will on the other hand, yours is well beyond hers. You've spent years fighting the Abyss' control, you've fought and struggled simply to make ends meet, you survived and helped others survive in the Second Attack when you were but eight years old. You might be a bearer of a great evil, but you are as equal a valuable asset as Liza is."

"…How would I even do it?" Artorian questioned. "Variant's receive and offer power through body fluid, and I don't plan on making out with a fourteen year old. I have standards damn it."

"Oh no, you won't need to act in such debauchery."

" _You and fucking Claire_ , no one says that!"

"Besides the point, Liza's containment is advanced. It both gives out and absorbs energy." Judal continued, ignoring Artorian's interruption. "Simply place your hand on the glass and focus your energy to your palm. That should serve the need of transferring."

"If this goes wrong, I'm ripping your arm off." Artorian said, placing his hand on the glass and attempting to give the girl his energy. He saw his energy slowly come to life at his hand, and seep into the pod, mixing with the energy vines and condensing into the thorns.

The blue energy would then begin to vanish, being absorbed into the vines completely as the Lord removed his hand. Several seconds went by before Judal would sigh, stepping away in disappointment.

"It seems it's still too soon for her to wake."

"That's it?" Artorian questioned. "Your sister isn't any closer to waking up, and that's all you can say?"

"She isn't in any worse condition, so at the very least nothing bad had happened."

"Oh that'll change you blond bast-!"

 _ ***Click***_

Artorian's entire body froze as he heard the faint click of a pistol's hammer being pulled back, turning to see Claire standing halfway from the elevator with an N-Tranquilizer pointed forward.

"Claire… you…?" The Lord wasn't able to make out his words, seeing the Slayer aiming the barrel of a gun that could do serious damage to someone with energy like him at him. As far as most messages would go, he'd feel that the girl had a hand in her sister's condition.

That quickly went away however as he saw her shift her gun's aim, focusing it more on Judal as she narrowed her gaze to her brother. "Why did you bring him down here?"

"To test a theory, unfortunately it came out to be wrong."

"Don't give me that, there's something else, I know it." Claire stated, her finger hovering over the trigger as she stared her brother down.

"Now why would I lie about something like our dear little sister with a gun pointed at me?" Judal would respond.

"You lied to my face about the experiments Vitaly did, I had to learn that Warslran committed more human experiments from Artorian."

"Ah Abyssal, so even you have a bleeding heart."

"Say that one more time and we'll see whose heart is bleeding." The Lord growled, getting little response from Judal as he stepped towards Claire, the Slayer keeping the gun pointed at him.

"Let it be known I had little involvement in Vitaly's work, on the contrary I despised it when I discovered it. However it had proved beneficial, enough that the data found allowed us to give Liza the care we have now." He would say, showing no concern as he stepped next to Claire. "I am fully aware the amount of distain you have towards Vitaly, she's a very painful reminder to our mother. But know I will fully use what I can to assure humanity's survival, as you are expected to do the same."

Claire's hand would shake as she slowly lowered her gun, placing it back in her holster as her brother stepped past her. It was at that moment Artorian saw a familiar level of restraint, the same level he had for when Judal used Karen. He had no idea the relationship between the siblings, but he could certainly tell it wasn't anything healthy.

"You know, I'm honestly glad you two seem to have some level of compatibility." Judal would admit, confusing the two as he stepped into the elevator. When he turned to face them, his calculated expression was replaced by the welcoming smile he normally had, putting face back up for when he went up. "Our people face a difficult time, the next worldwide invasion from the Savage is estimated to eliminate around ten to fifteen percent of the current population. Recovery is important, and here we have two powerful Slayers in the same team."

"Your point?"

"Artorian, I know your given situation you require an heir. Should you face an untimely demise or find yourself no longer fit to serve." Judal continued. "I'd certainly see no problems if you and my little sister Claire were to produce said heir. Between you two I'd say your child would have a power unmatched by previous Slayers."

"W-What are you implying Judal!?" Claire demanded to know, her cheeks reddening faintly as he brother pressed a button out of their sight.

"Preserving humanity is important Claire, and as the current generation it is our duty to ensure the preparation of the next. You're both young, powerful and important pieces in the battle against the Gods." Judal stated, the elevator slowly closing on his smile, his eye opening in time to give an icy stare to the Lord. "There's no telling what tomorrow will bring, you should make preparations to continue our race should things end up poor."

The door then closed, leaving the two in a deafening silence, Liza's energy serving as the only source of light as the two Slayers stared at the closed set of doors. Neither would say a word as they waited for the elevator to come back, allowing them to head up after the Warslran president.

 _'Bastard, you know that as well…'_ Artorian would think as they headed up, knowing the idea Judal threw in was intentional and not simply a "suggestion" like he implied.

"Artorian… I am sorry you had to see that." Claire would speak up, getting the Lord's attention. "I assume that was a lot to take in, and I apologize you had to learn this ship's greatest shame."

"Pardon?"

"You appeared thinking deeply, I wish to say sorry for anything conflicting or problematic that my brother may have said."

"Oh no, that isn't it." The Lord would chuckle. "I was just thinking what our kids would look like."

"Y-You what!? What do you man "our kids"!?"

"Eh, he just put the idea in my head." He'd shrug, smirking as he cupped his chin with his fingers. "I mean I definitely would like at least two, preferably a boy first and then a girl. The boy to train and teach the lessons I learned growing up and a girl to spoil. It'll be nice knowing the boy won't look like Judal, but I certainly would hope the girl looked like you."

"You can't be serious, everything you've seen and that's what you're… you're trying to relieve the tension." Claire would eventually pick up, closing her eyes as she let out a deep sigh.

"Oh look, you're learning." He'd chuckle, lowering his arm back to his side while resting his sword against the wall. "Look Claire, you don't have to say anything. The fact you pointed a gun at your brother that could kill him if shot at the right place tells me more than enough."

"I still should have told you, as a Variant you share something with my sister I never could. Perhaps you could have been the answer, if only Judal wasn't the one…"

"Eh, I'm glad he was." Artorian grinned. "I nearly crushed his windpipe after I saw who was in the pod, I was looking for that opportunity since he first approached me about entering Little Garden."

"You should be careful, Judal is a dangerous enemy to make. If you step out of line he could do something worse than simply remove your status as a Slayer for Warslran."

"Oh trust me, he can't risk that. He's just lucky I can't either." Artorian stated, crossing his arm as he looked to the blonde. "So, you're the middle child?"

"Is that a big deal?"

"Nah, it just reminds me of an old friend." He admitted, looking down as he did. "Use to be me, Karen and another friend, sticking together and looking after each other. Back then there was only us, it was… easier."

"And now there's many more people and a bigger responsibility?"

"Yeah…"

"I used to think like that before I met Erica and Liddy. But since then, I learned that I can rely on others, and most importantly the amount of people who may rely on me." Claire then looked over to Artorian, giving an understanding stare to the hybrid. "I understand you do not follow Noblesse Oblige, I don't know the circumstances but I respect you following your own ideals. I just hope you understand that as a Slayer, you have a responsibility to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

"As long as Karen's okay, I'll do what I have to." He stated, closing his eyes and smirking to himself. "And if I get to meet as many beautiful women as I have I'll gladly keep the "noble hero" role going."

"I do not know what I keep expecting, but you always go bellow it." Claire sighed, rubbing her forehead before her PDA beeped, getting her to reach into her pocket and pulling it out.

She'd stare at the information sent to her by Chris in silence, a solemn tone filling her face as she read the report.

"Something up?"

"Before you head to your room, come with me to the student council's office." Claire would say, the doors opening in front of them. "I'm initiating an alert for Selections, we need to meet for an immediate briefing."

"Why, what's going on?"

"Savage." The word alone got Artorian silent, the hybrid grabbing his sword and narrowing his gaze as he looked at the blade.

"Lead the way, Boss-in-Blonde."

* * *

 **(A/N): Well, the next arc has officially begun. And I'd say it's about time. I'm getting excited to get to what I have planned, and as much as I enjoy this build up I feel it's time for a few questions to be answered soon. I've been enjoying the feedback and I'm glad to see so many people have been enjoying the story so far, it's also good to know I've been doing well to avoid the apparent trope of making a Gary Stu based character, plot twist I admit I used to have characters like that but as I became a more focused writer I worked hard to avoid making characters like that.**

 **But that isn't here or there, that was a long time ago and I'm glad to say they're gone. As of now though, I'm more than excited to keep writing Artorian and watching him develop more as a character in the future. And I hope I can live up to the expectations that have been laid before me in both the coming arc and the future. But most importantly for now, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you at the next. Peace!**


	19. Trouble Follows Everywhere

"Would you look at that, forests as far as the eye can see." Emilia would say, looking out the window of the WL-03 the members of Selections were flying in.

They were currently in route to Tienchuen, a town on the edge of the Qin Empire. Reports had come in that a nest of Savage was being established, and after the days it took to discover them there is estimated to be around fifty regular Savage. While the types were nothing to have any worry, the sheer number had the UN quickly amass a force of Slayers to combat and eliminate the invaders as quickly as possible.

"Despite our advancements, the Qin Empire's always been rather small in comparison to most other countries." Liu would explain, the girl sitting across from Emile in the aircraft. "We have a few small towns and our capital, so most of our environments are left to grow freely, the one we're going to is considered to be the oldest in our territory."

"Right, you're from Qin." Artorian hummed as he looked to his side to the girl. "That explains why Claire had to come with us."

Shortly after the reveal of Little Garden's source of power, Artorian and the rest of Selections were ordered for the immediate briefing on the situation in Qin. However among the assigned Slayers, Liu was also requested to join the operation. At initial sight it seemed like a mistake to bring the girl along, given her status as one of the weakest Slayers in their class. However, she was not meant to provide combat assistance, rather tactical feedback and serve as Little Garden's hub representative in the operation.

"I still don't feel I was the best choice, but I'll be sure to do what I can to help assist everyone here." Liu would say, looking over to the hybrid. "I still have to return the favor for you helping me and Noa, and I aim to do just that."

"Just remember to pace yourself." He'd respond, rubbing her head with a smirk. "Without your sister from another mister, you're on your own once we're off."

"I… I will!"

"Remember, after landing we're going to be meeting with the leader of the task force sent to directly handle this operation." Claire would remind everyone, sitting closer to the front of the aircraft with Liddy and Erica to her sides. "There will be a rally three hours after our projected landing, which means we'll be meeting other Slayers that may be assigned to our teams. With so many people, I expect all of you to act on your best behavior. Especially when the operation leader is present."

That caused everyone to look to Artorian, getting an annoyed grunt from the Lord. "Y'all are bitches."

"And you're full of shit." Matthew responded.

The aircraft would then begin its descent, landing after twenty minutes onto a makeshift airstrip. Grabbing their variable stones on the way out, the members of Little Garden would step off to be greeted by four Slayers.

However unlike the expected Slayers, most of the group were surprised the team were all massive in stature, three standing roughly at seven feet tall while the forth was at the same height as the two hybrids present. And all were detailed head to toe in shining silver armor, a variety of weapons between the four.

"You see that right?" Artorian whispered to Matthew, the Dragon Slayer nodding as he kept his head lowered.

"Lords."

"Lady Claire?" The shortest of the four spoke up, the voice belonging to that of a woman. "I am Reseria, one of Lordran's assigned Silver Knights; your equivalent of Slayers."

"A pleasure." The president would say, offering a handshake to the Lord.

"Don't waste your time with that." Reseria would state, rejecting the offer and crossing her arms over her chest plate. "Our Lady told us to operate with you Slayers, but we still have a code to follow. We're simply here to direct you to your quarters and nothing more."

"Ah, I see." Claire said, slightly put off by the cold response. She had known of Lordran due to the involvement the country had with the UN, however she had never actively been involved with anyone directly loyal under their banner. The closest she had was Matthew, who grew up in the country for a few years; and the difference in attitude was quite jarring for her.

"Oi, what's the big deal?" Artorian said, resting his sword on his shoulder. "She was being nice, you big shots know that concept, don't ya? Or is it too much of a hassle for you?"

"Artorian, don't." The blonde spoke back, wishing to keep this from escalating.

"Unbelievable." One of the other Silver Knights scoffed, the voice deeper and clearly a man's as he looked to the hybrid. "I heard the humans were bringing in all who could fight, but to think they'd let an aberration in their ranks, despicable." The comment got the hybrid to tighten his grip on his sword, putting Claire more on guard.

"What does that mean?" Reitia asked Matthew, not too familiar with the word.

"They called him a freak." The Lord answered, getting Reitia and Emilia to both instantly go hostile.

"Oi, what did Artorian ever do to you!?"

"I was talking to him." The Silver Knight stated, pointing to Matthew and surprising most of the Slayers. "To see you here, makes me wonder how desperate the likes of organizations like Warslran really are, Ornisium."

"That is too far, I will not stand while you-" Claire would begin to speak, standing up for her fellow Slayer before Artorian and Reitia both took a step forward, the dirt kicking up at their feet as they glared heatedly at the Lords.

"Take. That. Back." Reitia would say, her eyes narrowed sharply as her hands tightened into fists.

"Or what, human?" The Lord grinned under his helmet, uncrossing his arms as he regarded her. "What would a curd like you plan to do to me?"

"Reitia… don't." Matthew would say, stepping past her and placing a hand down on her shoulder. "There's no point, you know that."

"But Matthew…" The girl would attempt to argue, but when she looked up to see her friend's somber face she couldn't bring herself to continue. She knew that just there being Lords was going to be a problem for him, but hearing what they said made her want nothing more than to floor them. But she also knew it wouldn't do anything to fix his problem.

"…Okay." She'd eventually relent, her fists loosening as she looked down.

"Thank you."

"To think there's a wretch so fraught they'd settle for Ornisium, disgrac-" The Lord would stop mid sentence and reach for his hip, unsheathing a pure silver sword with a cross blade hilt, blocking Artorian's downward swing with a single hand.

"You're just looking for reasons to get hit you bastard!" He'd shout, pushing against the Silver Knight's blade with little results.

"Artorian, stand down!" Claire would order, stepping towards the hybrid before things went to far.

"Say it one more time and I'll rip you apart!" The Abysswalker said, taking a step forward and managing to push the Lord back, getting a shocked grunt from him.

"You miscreation!" The Lord snarled with hatred, pushing Artorian's blade to the side before wrapping his free hand around his throat, tossing him behind him effortlessly.

"Artorian!" Liu would call out as both Emilia and Liddy were already throwing their variable stones up, summoning their Hundreds in retaliation to the escalating event.

"Get away from him!"

"Everyone stand down!"

"Bad decision." One of the two other Lords stated, having a two handed greataxe in hand and holding it with a firm grip to intercept the two.

"A thing like you even considering stepping towards me, what a impious expectation!" The Lord shouted, moving towards Artorian and raising his blade up while the hybrid gripped his sword to swing up. "I will educate a creature like you who your masters are!"

"Let's see you try bastard!"

"Felrick, Hanrocke; stand down now." Before either the Lord with a straight sword or axe attempted to attack, barriers of clear blue energy separated them from the Slayers they were about to engage. Although the moment they heard the voice all four Lords instantly turned to the source and went down to a knee, bowing their heads down with their right elbows placed over the knee still up.

"Lady Gwyndolin, our sincere apologies." Reseria would say, speaking for her forces as she remained in their salute.

"No need, Knight Reseria. I understand the past few days have been stressful for your fellow comrades." Gwyndolin would respond, raising a hand in understanding and dispelling the Knight's worries. Gwyndolin stood at an impressive height of 5'10 despite a more thin and fragile build. They had a more light voice, making it initially difficult to predict if they were a boy or a girl, however given the priestess robes, feminine face and noticeable bulge on their chest most of the Slayers were able to guess accurately. However what stood out the most of Gwyndolin was the four snakes wrapped around her, all actively looking around and remaining comfortable on her.

"However the Slayers present are as much our allies in the coming hunt as those that came before. So please execute a tighter control over them."

"Of course, Your Highness."

"My apologies, my Blades of the Darkmoon seem to have caused you trouble." Gwyndolin would say, although smiling as she looked to Claire. "However it seems you were prepared rather instantly."

"What?" Felrick would question as he and the other Blades looked up to stare in shock. Above them were all of Claire's Alystherion canon pods, two each aimed at the Lords that were prepared to fight and the remaining two facing Reseria and Juron, the last of the Silver Knights. "When did she-!?"

"The moment you grabbed it." Juron answered, having been the single one to notice and not act because of it. "Her reflexes were fast, when you reached forward the Slayer was already grabbing her variable stone."

"Impressive reaction time." Gwyndolin noted, reaching out to offer Claire a handshake. "I am Gwyndolin, the Dark Sun of Anor Londo and the youngest child of Lord Gwyn. I truly am sorry for my Blades' actions."

"I am Claire Harvey, commander of Little Garden." Claire introduced herself in return, accepting the handshake but noticing the twitch of annoyance from Reseria behind Gwyndolin. "I myself must apologies as well, my compatriots had also failed to restrain themselves and caused a scene."

"Only one was truly an issue." Gwyndolin stated, shifting her eyes to Artorian as she did. "A recommendation for you, as I'm aware of the issues an Abyssal can cause; keep a tight leash on it."

"Pardon?"

"Unfortunately I cannot, I am required to meet all of the country representatives and assign squads for the operation." The Lord would state, turning away and walking past the Silver Knights, all of which rose up and followed. "I will overlook this event, as both sides were guilty of pushing an issue. However I recommend Ornisium and Abyssal be kept on close watch, I cannot promise things will end up well if I am not present to stop my Blades from engaging them."

"Real fucking convincing…" Artorian grunted, rubbing his neck as the others watched the Lords walk away. "Gods, bastard's as smug as I thought he'd be."

"Are you okay Artorian?" Emilia would ask, her and Liu going over to him and helping him up.

"Yeah, prick had a better grip than I thought."

"To think he was able to physically able to compete with you. Even without a Hundred I thought that would be near impossible." Liu commented.

"That isn't what should be focused on." Claire stated, her Hundred disassembling as she approached the three. "What were you thinking, attacking one of our comrades?"

"I'm pretty sure I've fought most people present, how is this different?"

"Don't try giving me that, you attacked one of Lordran's representatives directly. Not a moment's hesitation came from you that can only make me assume you were looking for a reason to do so."

"You can't seriously be blaming Artorian for this, they were clearly trying to antagonize him and Matthew." Emilia spoke in defense of the hybrid.

"I understand that as well Crossfode, but even I think it was overboard." Liddy would state, looking over to Artorian. "You normally have a longer fuse than that, what made you go off as suddenly like that?"

"…They kept insulting Matthew." Reitia would answer, getting everyone's attention as she did. "I grew up with Matthew for a few years, so while I'm not an expert on the culture Lordran has I do know a few things about them. The entire time, they kept calling him worthless, less than inferior."

"I never heard them say that." Erica noted. "Are you certain that's what they were doing?"

"They kept calling him by his last name. In Lordran, using someone's family name to address a person is to reject them entirely as an individual." Reitia explained, looking over to Matthew who crossed his arms.

"They called me a bad word, there's nothing else to it."

"Nothing else to it my ass!" Artorian growled, stepping towards his fellow hybrid. "You showed absolutely zero backbone, you let them just walk over you like you deserved it!"

"Do not pretend as if you acted out for the sake of standing up for my family name." Matthew glared in return, hostility forming between the two. "You would've done something regardless of whether or not they spoke ill of me. I am not your scapegoat."

"And what about Reitia, were you just going to let them say whatever the hell they wanted about her as well!?"

"She's a young adult almost, she should know to not let such trivial matters bother her."

"The problem is you didn't say anything, you spineless hypocrite!"

"What did you call me?"

"That is enough." Claire would step between the two, forcing them apart as lightning crackled around Matthew's body. "Whether who is in the right or wrong is irrelevant right now. Artorian; I expect you to behave yourself on this mission, you do not have to interact with the Silver Knights but you must remain respectful even if they aren't."

"And as for you Matthew, I expect information like this to be presented to me before they become relevant." The Slayer then shifted her attention to the Dragon Slayer, catching him off guard. "I will not stand for any of my comrades to be insulted and affronted in such manners. You are not expected to act out like Artorian, but you shouldn't allow yourself to be disrespected like that."

The blonde would then sigh, rubbing her forehead as she felt a headache start to bother her. "I have a lot I have to prepare for in this operation, starting with having a proper briefing with Lady Gwyndolin. And I'd prefer that those unnecessary to be present to not be there."

"You're embarrassed of me, aren't you?" Artorian questioned, getting an irritated sigh from Claire in return.

"There will be a banquet in a few hours, many Slayers and representatives will be present. I would appreciate you taking the time to cool down and relax." She would state, looking to the hybrid. "That is all I ask of you, take a few steps back and recollect yourself so that you don't cause another scene. Can you do that for me?"

"Tch!" Artorian clicked his tongue as he looked away.

"Come on Artorian, how about we go see what there's to do in town?" Emilia would recommend, grabbing his spare arm to try and help defuse the tension.

"Y-Yeah, I can show all of you around as well." Liu added in. "It might not be a popular area, but there's still some good things to see in Tienchuen."

"…Fine." The hybrid eventually growled, taking one last look to Claire before walking off with them. "Careful around the bastard, anyone who comes from Lordran's royal family are not to be trusted."

"I will be sure to, you just cool your head off."

"No promises it will be."

* * *

"Quite the size of buildings, aren't there?" Reitia would note, having come along with Emilia, Liu and Artorian to tour Tienchuen. Matthew had stayed behind at the camp, as he was a veteran member of Selections and required to be present. "Although none of them go very high up, do they?"

"Most of these buildings weren't initially made to remain for an extended time." Liu would explain, taking note of the occasional building separated by the wide dirt road. "A lot of the people who founded the town were nomadic, since the area outside of the forest is mostly desert." She then looked down, saddened by the lack of people present in town.

"There are only children and elders left in the village. Everyone of working age either works away from home or find jobs in the urban areas outside of town. Some even leave for other countries to get out of town… and most don't ever come back."

"So this place is severely underpopulated, is that why you became a Slayer?" Emilia asked, the hybrid next to her having remained quiet for the entire trip.

"Yes, most people here are either too young or close to being too old to work. Since I became a Slayer Warslran sends aid to help them get by, although I send what I can too." Liu admitted, giving a faint smile as she saw an elderly couple walk across the street. "I hope to one day make Tienchuen a place of trade, to be something more than a marking on the map."

"Ah, it's Liu!"

"It really is, Big Sister Liu!"

Liu's attitude seemed to brighten drastically at the sound of two kids calling out to her, the girl turning in time to go down and wrap her arms around to hug the two that were running right to her.

"Bakuei and Mei!" She smiled brightly, holding the two close before leaning back to better see the two.

"Who are these kids?' Reitia would ask, confused by the sudden introduction.

"They're Bakuei and Mei Fan, they were close neighbors when I lived here." Liu explained. "I helped them with their school work when I had free time, since there weren't a lot of people here to teach them. They're like family to me."

"Big sis, who's the boy that's with you?" Bakuei would ask, pointing to Artorian and drawing their attention.

"Oh, is it that cute boy you wrote about!?" Mei questioned with excitement, a visible shine in her eyes. "The one that fought for you like a knight in shinning armor!?"

"Is that him? Does that mean he's your boyfriend now?"

"Mei, Bakuei, please don't say that!" Liu would say, her face bright red as she took their hands and put them down. "H-He's one of my fellow classmates, Artorian's a Slayer here to help with the search-and-destroy operation against the Savage."

"He looks kinda scary." Mei would say, taking note of his rough features and scars on his arms.

"Mei, that's rude to say."

"Well I'm a little scary." Artorian shrugged, speaking up for the first time.

"So you are a Slayer like big sister Liu?" Bakuei asked, getting a nod from him. "Are all of you?"

"Yep, top of the line Selections from Little Garden." Reitia said, pressing her thumb against her chest in confidence.

"Wow, someone almost our age is that high up! That's so cool!"

"Gack!" Reitia's confidence instantly shattered, being mistaken to be around the age of the kids delivering a solid blow to her pride.

"Ouch, kids are still ruthless." Artorian winced, seeing the gloom cloud go over Reitia while Emilia stiffed a chuckle.

"Hey you two, you're going to the dojo later today right?" Liu would ask, getting excited nods from them. "How about you two head over there and get started on training. I'll head over there once all my business is settled, okay?"

"Okay, see you later big sis!" The two would smile, separating from Liu before running off back in the direction they came from.

"They were cute." Emilia would comment, smiling as the girl got up from her knees. "They really seemed to look up to you."

"Yeah, although when I was around it was always "annoying big sis" or "jerk Liu" for making them do their homework." She would laugh to herself, looking back to the others. "I'm sorry if they said some things they should have, they have a hard time knowing what to say."

"Eh, most kids do." Artorian shrugged, although a smirk grew on his face as he looked to Liu. "But since they're gone, I want to know more about this "cute boy" and "knight in shinning armor" stuff they were talking about?"

"W-W-What!?" Liu's blush returned as she looked away desperate to hide her embarrassment. "Th-There's nothing to it! Bakuei and Mei both were just saying things that they were thinking about, honest! I barely said that much in the letters I wrote back to them!"

"Knight in shining armor, that I could understand. But kids that age don't get or understand "cute boy" unless someone specifically told them." Artorian would call out, chuckling as he saw the girl's ears go bright red. "So is there anything I should know Liu?"

"R-Reitia! You wanted to see more of the town!? Well okay let's go!"

"Wait why am I getting dragged into-WHOA!" Reitia would attempt to speak, only to be interrupted as Liu grabbed her arm, pulling her along as she attempted to gain some distance from the Lord.

"You're mean." Emilia would say, looking up to the boy as he continued to chuckle.

"Eh, nothing wrong poking a little into an innocent crush." He responded. "I don't think Liu likes me the way you or Sakura does, I just did something nice and she doesn't quite know how to return the favor."

"It better be." Emilia said, reaching up and poking his cheek firmly. "I have enough to worry about without you trying to seduce any more women."

"What, I can't help it." He'd say, pushing her hand off with a small grin. "I'm just a magnet for beautiful women, it's not my fault they fall head over heels for me."

"Jerk…"

"Aw, little Emile's jealous again." He'd coo, teasing her by pulling on her cheek for a second. "Don't worry, I still love y-!" As he was about to finish, Artorian's whole body went still as a chill went down his spine, noticing three figures cloaked in robes with hoods walk past them.

 _'This energy… I recognize it from…'_

"Artorian?" Emilia would speak up, breaking him out of his haze as she looked to him in concern. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Yeah, I'm…" The Lord would trail off, looking behind him to see the three walk off. None of them seemed to notice him, or if they did they weren't doing anymore than continuing on their walk, giving him the all clear to sigh in relief. "I'm fine."

"It's them, isn't it?" Emilia would question, following his line of sight to see the three hooded figures walk around the corner of a building, disappearing from sight.

"Yeah, I think so." He nodded. "I'll message Claire in a bit, we should wait and make sure they don't come back and follow us before that."

"Right." Emilia would agree, the two turning to walk after Liu and Reitia who were far ahead.

"Damn bastard…" Krovanh would growl as he bit his thumb, Nakri and Nesat standing next to him as his eyes narrowed around the corner to see Artorian walking away. "There's no way he didn't sense us…"

"We should just take them out now, no way can they fight us without Sakura or the lightning jerk." Nakri stated, raising her hand up to her chest to reveal the green variable stone embedded into the top of her hand.

"We can't." Nesat said, putting her hand over her cousin's to bring it down. "People are around, innocent people. We can't risk hurting them."

"Besides, we need to set up the scrambler in the forest." Krovanh added in. "We'll deal with them when they start their little operation. Then we can take our time and pay them back for what happened.

"I can get behind that." Nakri grinned widely, the three beginning to walk again, this time heading for the forest where the Savage Nest was."

* * *

"Lords and those three Hunters running around, this shit can't be real." Artorian spoke to himself, stepping out of his shower and grabbing his towel. Shortly after their tour, Liu brought the three to the hotel they would be staying at, waving them off before heading for her own home. Feeling the stress get to him, the hybrid decided to take the edge off a bit and freshen up, the lack of a bath forcing him to take a shower instead.

 _'Having to worry about the Lords is bad enough, those Hunters are going to be a problem if they catch us off guard.'_ He'd think to himself, drying his hair off before stepping in front of his mirror, letting his towel rest on his neck for a second as he stared at his reflection. _'This is a bad mix already brewing, not to mention we're going to be fighting Savage as well.'_

He'd then sigh before wiping his face with his towel, mostly drying himself off before stepping out of the bathroom. Since it was a rather small hotel, each room could only fit a single person, giving him total privacy as he stepped forward and put his clothes on, starting with his pants.

After putting his belt on, the hybrid would turn to see his PDA on the nightstand next to his bed. He'd look for a second before walking over to it, picking it up and dialing Karen's number.

 _'I can't shake this bad feeling. Is this the Abyss or Variant virus?'_ He'd wonder, scratching the back of his neck as he waited for Karen to answer. He'd tap his foot waiting for a few seconds before getting an answer, the girl's voice sounding excited.

 _"Artorian! You called!"_

"Well of course, I promised I would didn't I?" He'd smile, taking a silent breath of relief that she was okay. "Sorry I didn't call sooner, I only just got to my room and things have been a little… tense so far."

 _"Is everything okay? You sound worried."_ She would ask, immediately picking up the concern in his voice over the call.

"Just pre-mission nerves, it's a bit of a big operation." He'd lie, not wanting to worry her. "Is Miharu or Sakura nearby? I just want to make sure you aren't alone."

 _"Don't you worry Artorian, as if I'd let her be alone."_ Sakura's voice would be heard, Karen having set the call to speaker.

 _"I'm here too!"_ Mei Mei's cheerful voice would cut in, adding on to the number of people at Karen's side.

"That's good to know." He'd say. "Anything happen while I was flying over?"

 _"Nothing much, Miharu and one of her coworkers visited me and Sakura helped with today's rehabilitation exercises. And then Mei Mei came and brought sweets for us to share afterwards."_ Karen explained.

"Oh did she?" Artorian hummed, rubbing the back of his neck as he walked over to the window in his room. "Nothing too sweet right? You're already sweet enough I'm afraid what might happen if you get too much in you."

 _"Smooth talker…"_ Sakura grumbled over the call, getting shared laughs from Artorian and Mei Mei.

 _"N-No, nothing too bad. Just a few cookies, I only had one… or two."_

"Oh Karen, what will I do with you?" he'd chuckle over the call, frowning but keeping his upbeat voice as he looked out to the forest. "So what are you three doing right now then?"

 _"Just some preparation work for the Founding festival coming up."_ Sakura would answer, getting the hybrid to raise an eyebrow.

"Founding Festival? That's the Little Garden thing right?" Artorian would ask, recalling that the festival happened every year in tribute to Little Garden's first departure off land. "Got something planned there Pinky?"

 _"Not telling. It's. A. Se~cret."_ The idol would giggle, the Slayer able to hear the stuck out tongue by her tone.

"Just don't do anything too serious, Karen's only been doing therapy for two weeks."

 _"I-I'll be okay Artorian, I promise."_ Karen said. _"Oh wait, before we hang up, there's something I wanted to tell you!"_

"What is it?"

 _"I got worried and used my tarot cards, I wanted to tell you what I saw."_ Karen would say, getting his attention. _"I saw two things come stick out, one where Balance was inverted and Clarity was covered. It means you may encounter a confrontation and light may fade from your sight."_

"Confrontation and fading light, I see." Artorian said as he looked down. Confrontation was one thing, but to hear Karen's Clarity card being brought into this made it a lot more impactful to him. She often used it to predict the day he would fall asleep, signaling the Abyss' influence reaching his body. This was the first time she's seen it when he was only a few days without sleep, and while her predictions weren't always a certainty, it was no less a fair warning. "Thank you for the prediction Karen."

 _"Be careful Artorian, your Clarity is important, especially when I can't get to you."_ Karen would say, being sure to avoid mentioning the Abyss in the presence of Sakura. She was scared to bring her friend into the world Artorian and she lived in, and wanted to prevent her being wrapped into their mess so soon into their reunion.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful." Artorian promised. "Try not to miss me too much, I might not be back for another day or two. Depends on how well this goes, but I'll try to call you if I get the chance."

 _"Okay, we'll see you when you get back."_

 _"Good luck Artorian!"_ Mei Mei would cheer.

 _"Be sure to come back Artorian, we still have to get married."_ Sakura would add in, getting a chuckle from the boy as he smiled. _"I love you, remember that."_

"I could never forget, see you around my precious idol." He'd say, hanging up and putting his PDA into his pocket before taking a deep breath.

 _'Strong will, strong mind. Keep those and it won't happen.'_ He'd think to himself, running the message through his head repeatedly as he put his shirt on.

He then heard a single knock on his door, getting him to turn as he grabbed his shawl, the cloth still torn from the Savage's bullets that struck it. "It's open!"

Emilia would then open the door slightly, looking in to make sure the Lord was decent before fully stepping in. "Sorry if you were still getting settled in, but it sounds like the meeting is going to start soon."

"Nah, I just got off of a call." He'd shrug, putting his shawl on. He had yet to have it fixed, actually finding the tears on the left that exposed his arm giving it character and a sense of familiarity.

"Karen?"

"Karen, Sakura and Mei Mei, they were all together for some special plan for the Founding Festival." He explained, picking up his sword as the two stepped out of his room. "Apparently it's a secret, so none of them would tell me what they had planned."

"I'm sure they have it in mind specifically for you." Emilia would chuckle slightly, looking to the side with a small cringe glare after. "Perks of being an idol who can sing I guess."

"And a cute best friend, as well as an attractive cyber-cat maid." Artorian would barely flinch when Emilia punched his shoulder, getting a shared laughter from the two as they walked down the hotel. "So where is the meeting at?"

"At some venue area just outside of the operation base." Emilia answered. "I really hope this meeting has some food at it, especially if it's Qin cuisine."

"You've had it before?"

"Yeah, it's really spicy and has tons of different flavors." She said, sighing in bliss as she remembered the taste. "It's been so long since I had any Qin food, this'll be a nice change of pace."

"Damn, if you wanted spicy food that bad you should have said." Artorian shook his head as he smiled. "I make killer udon, and I have a few recipes that would make you feel like your mouth's on fire. I guess I'll have to show you when we get back."

"You would? Yes! Qin food and then authentic Yamato food too!"

"You're a weird one Emile. One weird one indeed."

* * *

"Whoa, this is a big operation." Emilia would say, her and the others of Little Garden arriving at the venue last to see well over 200 Slayers present. "How many countries are participating in this?"

"There are fifteen organizations currently involved." Erica answered. "Twelve are from countries with high enough Slayer numbers to offer assistance while the rest are from us and PMCs like Warslran and Palladian."

"Wow, so many."

"And what about Lordran?" Artorian questioned.

"They only sent the Silver Knights and Lady Gwyndolin, no other assistance was given." Liddy stated.

"Great, four assholes and a dick. Really feeling the love from them."

"Would it kill you to be at least a little reserved?" Claire questioned, getting a shrug from him.

"Probably not, but I ain't gonna play nice and suck her dick."

.

.

.

"What?"

"Attention, Slayers of around the world." Before anyone could question further, Gwyndolin stepped up to the microphone on the center stage, a sudden sense of comfort coming over most of those present as the sunset was visible behind her. "I would like to thank all of you for coming, I am Gwyndolin, the youngest of Lord Gwyn's children from Lordran. Although the entire world are split for many reasons, there is one common anomaly that we all agree must take precedence."

"The Savage have formed a nest in the nearby forest, and soon they will become active. Our goal will to be strike it down and eliminate the invaders before they can start creating more dangerous species. But before then, let this night be for yourselves. There is vast food from around the world and many more drinks for you to choose from. Enjoy yourself and rest well, for tomorrow will surely bring trials."

After Gwyndolin's brief interruption, waitress from to Qin came to pass the assortment of drinks, offering each Slayer the one they asked. When they came to Little Garden's area, most of the group chose one of the various juices offered, the trend ending when Artorian received a tankard of beer.

"You're underage Artorian." Claire called him out. "You shouldn't be drinking alcohol."

"I'm legal in Gudenberg, which is good enough for me." The hybrid responded ignoring her as he took a chug of the drink. "Ah, that feels nice."

"Unbelievable, and you think that is an appropriate message to give to the Slayers younger than you?"

"Claire, I am the last thing people go to for a role model, we both know that. So don't bother trying using that, I won't care anyways."

"Just give up, he'll only ruin his own reputation." Matthew stated, standing next to Reitia with a glass of water.

"Oh please, I need to have a positive reputation to ruin it." Artorian argued. "And ever since I became public, I've gone rage mode on a Trenta, vocally told people I'd sacrifice them if Sakura wasn't the saint she is, broke a few stands with my sword when shopping, and groped Claire in our first duel. This reputation isn't salvageable."

"…I should have left you locked in your room."

"I knew it! You are embarrassed of me!"

"Listen; Erica, Liddy, Matthew and I are going to be on an interview before we can eat, so you may do what you wish. All I ask, ALL I ASK… is that you behave." Claire would say, putting her hands together as she motioned to the boy. "Just, please don't cause a serious scene. The Lords are across the venue so that none of them can get you close, and the press has been explicitly told to leave you alone. Will that work for you?"

"Hmmm, I don't know. Maybe a kiss on the cheek to seal the deal?" Artorian would recommend, getting an annoyed glare from the blonde, one that wasn't taken as seriously with the light blush dusted on her cheeks. "Alright, alright, I'll behave. Parties aren't really my thing anyways."

"Thank you." Claire would sigh, getting up along with the previous mentioned and walking off.

Seeing that they were alone, with everyone else having gone to mingle and interact on their own, Artorian and Emilia would go to get plenty of food before sitting at their table. The amount was a rather ridiculous amount, albeit just enough for the two with their need to keep a constant energy. Although to everyone around, it would look almost as if they were overeating to an extreme degree, some giving looks of disgust as they chowed down.

"Wheew~! That was amazing." Emilia would sigh with content, placing the last of her plates in a neat stack after finishing her meal.

"You sure love to eat, and eat fast at that." Artorian would chuckle, picking up a dumpling from his gyoza and eating it. Unlike Emilia, he still had a few plates of food left, showing a more conserving amount of eating despite the clear sign he was far from full.

"Well, I have to be sure to replenish my energy. We have a big day tomorrow after all." Emilia stated, patting her bicep in emphasis to her energy.

"You have barely used any energy, I know we burn through energy without trying but not nearly that much." He countered, taking another dumpling and eating it in one bite. "I have been training for weeks, so I have a scapegoat. Meanwhile you just-"

"Lady Emilia!"

"Eh?" Emilia's whole body froze as a voice called through the entire venue, confusing the Lord when he saw her still posture.

 _'Someone said Emilia? Is someone else here named that or…'_ He'd then turn to where the source of the voice came from. What he saw was a girl with bobbed light brown hair running towards them. She was rather short, a bit taller than Reitia but shorter than Emilia, and had on a blue uniform from Britannia's army.

"Uh oh." Emilia gulped, recognizing the girl and standing up. "Artorian, we need to run now! Before she-!"

"I finally found you Emilia!" The girl cheered, clearing the final distance in a flash and clinging onto the white haired girl's back. "Emilia! Emilia! Emilia!"

"L-Let go of me! I'm not Emilia, y-you must have me confused with someone else!" Emilia would try to argue, attempting to break free of the girl as she clung desperately to her back and rubbed against her like a dog. "My name's Emile! Emile Crossfode!"

"What are you saying!? Even if you look like a man, I know for a fact that it's you Lady Emilia!" The girl argued. "My eyes cannot be deceived, there's no way it's anyone but you!"

"A-Artorian! Help me!" Emilia would call out, seeing the Lord just sitting there and watching as she struggled against her hold.

"I kind of don't want to." He admitted, finding the situation with Emilia being clung by the girl enjoyable to watch.

"Artorian!"

"Oh alright fine." He'd sigh, getting up from his seat and walking over to the two. Leaving his sword against his chair, he'd grab the two with his hands and pull them apart, holding the unknown girl by the back of her uniform and off the ground while releasing Emilia. "There, happy?"

"Yes…"

"Who are you, huh!?" The girl would snarl at Artorian, getting the boy to recoil in surprise at her 180 change, seeing her flash her teeth at him. "How dare you stand between and Emi-mpmhpmhpmhmphm mpmpmh!"

"Yeah I'm not dealing with that." Artorian would say, interrupting the girl by placing his hand over her mouth. He'd then look over to Emilia, looking at her expectantly while the girl shook violently to break free, screaming into his hand. "Care to explain who this is?"

"R-Right… can we talk about it somewhere else?" She'd ask. "I'd prefer if we went somewhere more private for this conversation."

"Sure thing no prob-gah!" Artorian would shout in pain, the girl biting his hand now in retaliation. "You crazy bitch you're biting me!"

"Mpmhpm mrphmh mrrphhhhh!"

"Oh I have half the mind to throw you into the nearest tree, that'll change your mind real quick!"

"This escalated quicker than expected…" Emilia said, sighing in disappointment as lightning clashed between Artorian and the girl's eyes, staring at each other intently in their position.

* * *

"…So, what do you want?" After their small interaction, the three had asked one of the soldiers guarding the venue to drive them into town, and since Emilia was yet to fell full yet, the trio ended up in a small restaurant.

"I want your teeth on a fucking necklace, that's what I want." Artorian stated, giving a glare to the girl while crossing his arms.

"Who even are you, spending time next to my Lady Emilia like you deserve to."

"Oh I'll show you just why you-!"

"This is Artorian, a classmate of mine from Little Garden." Emilia would interrupt, attempting to be the peacekeeper in the situation. "You know Claudia, it's rude to ask someone else for their name without giving yours first."

"If you say so Emilia…" The now identified Claudia would mutter, clearing her throat before speaking up. "I am Claudia Lowetti, a Slayer of the Imperial Army of Britannia and the childhood friend of Lady Emilia."

"Childhood friend?"

"I taught her how to use a Hundred." Emilia answered Artorian's question. "Outside of that, we've only met here and there every once in awhile." The trio's order than came, the waiter placing plates of noodles in front of them with a variety of meats and vegetables added in.

"You sure that's enough meat?" Artorian asked, sending a narrowed glare to the girl sitting across from him. "Wouldn't rather have my another piece of my hand added into the mix?"

"You trying to say something?" Claudia questioned, returning the glare.

"Yeah, you're fucking crazy you fucking-"

"Please, please, can we relax for a bit?" Emilia interrupted again. "Let's just… eat and try to relax before we do something we'll regret."

"Fine!" The two shouted in anger, looking away from the other before going to their noodles, slurping them down in agitation.

 _'I'm starting to understand Claire's position now.'_ Emilia thought with a sweatdrop, going to eat her own noodles shortly after.

"So… you managed to join the army Claudia, and you've volunteered for this joint operation?" The snow haired girl would ask, trying to spark a conversation with her fellow Slayer.

"It was all thanks to you're training that I could join the army." Claudia stated, putting her fork down to continue speaking. "In fact, ever since you disappeared from Gudenberg, I was always looking for your whereabouts. And then I saw on the cybernet of a rumor about a Slayer using a phantasmagoric weapon against the Savage on the Zwei Islands."

 _'That damn video!'_ Artorian growled as he slurped the rest of his noodles down, going to pick the meat off the plate to eat now as he looked between the two girls.

"After a bit of investigating with the help of Gudenberg's intelligence department, we were able to figure out that it was indeed you Lady Emilia among the Slayers of Little Garden."

"Oh, so not only do we have that stupid video, but now an entire country's intelligence agency on us, yeah not a big deal Emile." Artorian said, throwing his chopsticks onto his plate before groaning in annoyance.

"Sorry…"

"Why even look for her? I thought Emile's identity was meant to be a secret in the first place?" Artorian said, pointing to Claudia. "I thought the secret child between a woman of Wenz and the king of Gudenberg was a rather necessary secret to keep?"

"Because of the First Attack, relations between the countries of Britannia is important, and among them Gudenberg and Wenz have some of the most rough." Claudia explained. "So to strengthen our bond it was agreed that the third Prince of Wenz and Lady Emilia would marry. Their offspring would produce an excellent Slayer, and therefore create a better political stance for the two countries. Can't you see why bringing Lady Emilia back is important?"

"Bullshit, you want Emile you're gonna have to pry him from my cold dead hands first!" Artorian stated, slamming his hands on the table as he stood up. "There's many things I hate in this world's political shitshow, and near the top of it is this arranged marriage crap!"

"You're completely uninvolved! What would you understand about it!?" Claudia responded, matching his stance but standing much shorter than him.

"Fuck you, this shit involves me more than it does you!"

"And how would you be able to think that!? Unlike you, I actually love Emilia! I want nothing more than for her to be happy and live a prosperous life! Around the likes of degenerates like you, she'll experience nothing but hardships!"

"Oh yeah, then how the fuck do you explain why she left your worthless ass country for a battleship that I might not have even gone to!? Want to compare that, you little fucking gremlin!?"

"Hey, hey, hey! Can you two stop for a second!?" Emilia would raise her voice, trying ever harder to stop the two's fighting from causing any more of a scene. "Look, Claudia, I can't leave Little Garden as it is. At any rate, I like Artorian just as much as I think you like me. So I won't be returning to Gudenberg, and you can inform my family of that yourself."

"So what you're saying is, because of that man, you won't return to Gudenberg, yes?" Claudia would ask, getting a nervous glance from Emilia while an excited one from Artorian.

 _'Oh please don't be going where I think it is…'_

 _'Oh please be going where I think it is!'_

"Well then Artorian Abyssal, let's wager Lady Emilia with a duel!" Claudia would declare, pointing to the boy with eyes lit in determination. "If I win, I will bring her back to Gudenberg. But if by some miracle you manage to cheat a win out from me, she can stay at Little Garden."

"Ohoho, you did not just challenge me." The hybrid laughed, although his wide grin showed the entertainment plastered on his face. "Making a wager on Emile just because he's falling in love, that's pretty shallow for a Slayer such as yourself."

"I'm doing this to save Lady Emilia from your corrupting fingers, I won't let her fall prey to them!"

"And who's to say he hasn't already "fallen prey" to them?" He'd ask, his grin somehow widening further as he held his index and middle fingers up. "Maybe Emile's already given in and cried out because of them? Ever think of that?"

"Y-Y-You barbarian!" Claudia's determination turned to anger, her face flaring red at the insinuation along with Artorian letting his tongue sneak out between his teeth.

"Artorian… d-don't say things like that." Emilia would say, her own face red with embarrassment. Albeit she wasn't acting out of the claim but rather imagining it for a second, shaking it out of her head to avoid letting herself get off track.

"You'll have to do a lot to break him out from my grip, when I latch onto something I don't let go easily." The hybrid said in confidence, turning his attention to Emilia with a more tamed expression. "I'll only accept this challenge if you want me to, it isn't anything that should be done unless you allow it."

"…I'm okay with it." Emilia would say, nodding after taking a second to think. "I know you'll win. I believe you will."

"L-Lady Emilia!?"

"You heard the boss." Artorian would chuckle, turning his gaze back to Claudia. "Where and how do you want to settle this farce of a battle?"

"Oh, I'll settle this! And I'll win and bring Lady Emilia back to where she belongs!"

"We'll see about that."

* * *

 **(A/N): Well, that's another chapter down. Not necessarily one full of over the top twists and turns, but a necessary one to step into the fullness of the arc when it comes in. I felt I could have added more into the chapter, but I also feel plenty was added in as it was and could be saved for later. Things are rather heated for Artorian, and I've been enjoying writing the hybrid when he has a short fuse. It really gives into the more negative side of him that the rest of the cast don't see as they're the people he has patience for.**

 **But above that all I'm getting excited for the next few chapters to come out, as it's gonna turn into a wild ride before too long. And when it comes down oh boy I'm gonna throw a hard ball, I've got most of it planned and all that's needed is to write it. Both revolving the Hunters and all the Lords present. I'm hoping I'm living up to the expectations and I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you in the next one. Peace!**


	20. Mission Start

"I'll give this to you as one last warning, Lady Emilia comes with me and we don't have to fight." Claudia would state, standing across Artorian, the two in Tienchuen's dojo.

"What's the matter? Getting cold feet after all that talk earlier?" Artorian would ask, resting his blade against him while cracking his knuckles. His grin from the restaurant had never left, still wide and full of malice as the moment he was challenged.

"I simply wish to give a proper reason as to why you may be unfocused during the mission tomorrow." Claudia answered, gripping onto her weapon choice for the duel. As Hundred use was forbidden, both would be using a more traditional weapon; Artorian picking his father's sword while Claudia grabbed a flail, the large weapon matching her Hundred.

"Cute, but I'll give you a head's up." The hybrid would say, lowering his stance and flipping his sword over his shoulder to catch it with his right hand, facing it towards Claudia. "When it comes to duels without Hundreds, I'm undefeated to this day. The worst I've gotten is a tooth knocked out, so you have a lot to live up to. Not that you will."

"If you really think you can match against my training from Lady Emilia, you have another thing coming!" Claudia would announce, spinning the rope in her hands and getting the metal ball at the end to kick up, getting it to move swiftly as she looked to the hybrid. "Boy, can you give us the start?"

"Of course!" Bakuei would say, standing next to Emilia and Mei as they acted as spectators for the impromptu duel. Holding his hand up, Bakuei would look between the two, making sure they were at their ends before taking a single breath. "Ready? START!"

"Let's get going!" Reacting the moment Bakuei swung his arm down, Artorian lunged out with impressive speed, quickly clearing the gap and raising his sword up with both hands. Claudia returned the swing by swinging her flail up, matching the force of his blade and creating a stalemate.

The hybrid's eyes narrowed at the metal, his grin being replaced with a thin lip as he took note of its composition. When his feet touched the ground Claudia would spin her body around along with her flail, sending out her own attack that the hybrid swung against.

The next blow the two would share would cause a gust of wind to kick off, both Bakuei and Mei protecting their eyes while Emilia managed to remain still and calm.

"W-Whoa, they're intense!" Bakuei would say, watching as Artorian would slide back after blocking the next attack, striking down to parry Claudia's flail and gain some distance.

"And they aren't even using Hundreds, big sis Liu never had this much force." Mei would add, Artorian and Claudia's weapons causing loud ringing as they collided, the Lord's remaining still and focused while the flail would subtly vibrate.

"Just wait a bit longer." Emilia would say, smiling as she saw what Artorian was doing. "Artorian's just showing a taste of what he can do."

"This is the end!" Claudia would shout, the chain of her flail wrapping around Artorian's blade before she kicked down on it, keeping it in place.

"Not bad there gremlin, looks like you got more than a simple bite to your skills." Artorian said, keeping an eye on the metal ball as the chain kept his weapon held, although he didn't appear even slightly worried. "Unfortunately for you, my bite's a lot more painful!"

"You won't get the chance!" Claudia decreed, pulling hard on her chain to free her flail and drop Artorian's guard down. She then lunged forward, raising the metal ball over her head and bringing it down hard towards the hybrid.

As the ball was about to strike however, Artorian would grip his blade with both hands and swing up, matching it with equal intensity that stopped the flail in place. The girl on the other end would freeze as the vibrations from the hit went from the ball across her chain, preventing her from recovering while he raised his sword over his head.

With his grin returned, Artorian would swing down in time with the vibrations on the flail, the attack completely overwhelming the metal ball and shattering it, chunks of the metal going across the dojo. With one final twist of his wrists, Artorian would slam the flat side of his sword against Claudia's stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her crashing onto the ground several feet back.

"The match is over!" Bakuei would announce, stopping the match after the conditions of a single blow were met.

"I knew you would win!" Emilia would cheer, lunging to Artorian and wrapping her arms around his right in a tight embrace.

"I aim to please." Artorian chuckled, twisting his sword in his left hand before resting it on his shoulder. He then looked over to Claudia, the girl slowly getting up with tears of pain in the corner of her eyes. "It's your loss, so don't even bother trying to take Emile back to Gudenberg. We clear?"

"No!"

"What do you mean "no"? That's what you agreed on!" Emilia responded, calling Claudia out on her statement.

"It's because Artorian's a sneaky person!"

"Eh?"

"No one can shatter a perfectly maintained flail with something like a dull sword like that!" Claudia claimed, pointing to Artorian's sword. "He must have done something to rig this match!"

"Excuse you?" Artorian asked with contained fury, tightening his hand around his blade as he glared at the girl. "What did you just call this blade? Dull, if I heard you right?" He then held the broken tip of the sword out to Claudia, putting enough force in to push wind in her face. "I'll let you know; this sword's been slaying Savage longer than everyone in this dojo's been alive combined. A stupid metal ball is nothing compared to it."

"Say whatever excuse you have, but I know what kind of person you are, Degenerate! I will expose you when I discover what you've done! Until then… we shall postpone the results of this duel!" Claudia would finish claiming, soon after running off while her not entirely subtle cry was heard. "I'll get you back, Degenerate!"

.

.

.

"I mean… I still won." Artorian said, the atmosphere turning awkward at the girl's retreat. "I used a technique Bastard taught me during training, it's made specifically to shatter a Savage's armor and core in one hit."

"Claudia's just… a special kind of person." Emilia would say, looking to the side while rubbing the back of her head. "We'll probably have to deal with her again for a while."

"Greeeeeeeat…"

* * *

"So, let me get this straight." Claire would say, appearing to try and keep herself calm while regarding Artorian and Emilia, the two sitting across from her in the hotel's lounge. "You left the venue, fought a fellow Slayer from the Army of Britannia in a duel and caused permeant damage to one of the dojo's weapons?"

"In my defense, no one uses flails. So I don't see the problem with that."

"NOT, the reason for this Artorian." Claire stated, rubbing her forehead as she leaned forward in her seat. "The fact of the matter is you fought a comrade the night before a mission, the second you've attacked no less."

"That's not true Prez, Claudia was the one who challenged Artorian, not the other way around." Emilia defended the hybrid, throwing her own voice in. "Claudia made the challenge in an attempt in order to bring me back to Gudenberg, he accepted the challenge in hopes that she would simply give up. Unfortunately she… isn't quite that simple."

"She was attempting to bring you back? Why?"

"Cause she's freaky like that." Artorian would chuckle, raising his index and middle fingers and pressing them together in scissoring motions.

"Artorian."

"Gods, fine… although I'm not entirely lying on that part." The Lord rolled his eyes, placing an arm over the end of his seat. "Emile left Gudenberg without permission, and Claudia's trying to bring her back for the arranged marriage she's in with Wenz's third bastard or something."

"Douglas Wenz?"

"I mean, if that's who he is. I didn't get a name and I don't care for one." He shrugged. "No one's taking Emile away, not unless he wants to."

"Artorian…" Emilia smiled at the Lord's words, blushing faintly at the genuine as she brushed some of her hair behind her ear when she looked away.

"Thank you Artorian, I understand now." Claire said, surprising the two in front of her as she did. "I do not agree with the means, but I appreciate you looking after one of our own in this affair. As it stands, Emile Crossfode is a treasured member of Little Garden. Despite my personal issues with his behavior, I will not allow anyone to take him away from us."

"Prez…"

"I will have a talk with Gudenberg's royal court after this mission is over, such an action is a clear breach of the regulations on Slayer assignment." Claire would then stand up, giving the two a relieved and concerned smile. "Taking care of each other is important, and you've done so today; but also take care of yourselves. Get some rest, tomorrow will be a busy day. Projections believe there are even more Savage than originally expected."

"Got it, Boss-in-Blonde." Artorian lazily saluted with two fingers, the president heading for her quarters while the two went for their room.

"Hey Artorian?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you mean what you said? About not letting anyone take me from Little Garden?" Emilia asked, looking to the boy from the corner of her eyes as they walked.

"Of course I did, anyone wants you they have to go through me." He'd say, the two stopping outside their rooms. "After all…" The Lord would then take the chance to lean down, cupping Emilia's chin with his fingers gently as he smiled at her. "I'm a terrible sharer, and I want you all to myself."

The two then shared a quick moment of passion, their lips melting together as they kissed. Snaking his tongue in, Artorian would hear the girl moan faintly while gripping his shoulders tightly. Closing her eyes as she returned the gesture with her own tongue, Emilia would feel as if she were in bliss and allow herself to just enjoy the mixing warmth and coldness from their bodies.

After a few seconds of the two's kiss, they pulled away with slight pants, visible golden hues across their eyes as a trail of saliva still connected the two's lips. Seeing the shared glow between their eyes, the two Variants almost felt a force drawing them together, the desire to continue making it even more encouraging to just go with it.

And they did, meshing their mouths together for a less focused and more passionate kiss, forgoing any modesty as they explored each other's mouths. Feeling the virus begin to intensify, the Lord would decide to make this encounter more private, fumbling to both pick the girl up with his free hand and open his room's door, barely managing to do so as Emilia clasped his face with both her hands.

Once they were in and the door was closed, Artorian simply rested his sword against it before shifting his hold on Emilia, holding onto her thighs with both hands now as she wrapped her legs around his torso. With his focus now solely on the girl, he would move them to the closest wall, pinning Emilia's back against it while pressing himself more on her.

Hearing the girl moan as both their eyes were turning more golden with each second, Artorian couldn't help but curse at her need to hide her identity, his chest just barely feeling the trapped softness of Emilia's breasts. But he would settle with having the girl in the position they were in now, massaging her thighs to get more moans from the girl and further explore the princess' mouth.

"Haaaaah… Artorian…" Emilia would pant when they separated this time, their eyes almost fully golden from their excessive transfer of saliva. "Are we… can we…?"

"Can't go all the way… or too far at all… walls are too thin." He'd pant, raising one of his hands up to her shoulder to shift her shirt's collar to the side, exposing the base of Emilia's neck. "But we can certainly keep this up for a bit." At his words, the Lord would begin to trail his tongue up her neck, getting her to shutter a moan at the sensation.

"I-I… would like… that…" Emilia would moan, feeling the wetness of his tongue go up and down her neck. Her legs would tighten around his body more, then snow haired girl wincing slightly as she felt him slightly bite down at the base of her neck. "A-Artorian… people are… are going to see if you bite."

"Nothing too visible, the variable suit and your collar will hide it." He said as he released her from the bite, seeing the mark from his canine appear more visible than the rest of his teeth before kissing over it. "Besides, now's not the time I'd give you a real mark."

"W-What do you me-eep!?" The Slayer couldn't help but let out a squeak of confusion, caught off guard as the Lord stepped back from the wall and turned around, dropping her to the bed before crawling over her.

"What I mean is…" He'd slowly speak, lowering his face more until their lips were an inch apart. "I won't mark you until I make you a woman." The two would then connect their lips once more, letting their tongues do the rest of the talking as they let out their urges now.

Whether it was the stress of the imminent mission or the simple desire to let out some passion after keeping it in for a few weeks now, it didn't matter to the pair of Variants as they devoured each other's lips. All they wanted to do at the moment after the long day was to enjoy themselves, consequences be damned as they shared their passion.

Although as they couldn't go far, they would enjoy basking in each other's warmth as they kissed, their heated time together lasting for twenty minutes as they let the virus encourage them more. They didn't ever think of it, but they knew their hormones and instincts were flaring at the possibility of the mission being fatal to one or both of them. It gave the Variant virus a source to draw them together more, all but annoying the Slayers at the inability to go any further.

Once they exhausted the burning energy the virus was drawing from them, the two would be resting underneath the bed's covers. With his shirt now off, Emilia could enjoy the coolness of his skin more, her head resting against his chest as the moon's light shone on them through the window.

"Hey Artorian?"

"Yeah Emile?"

"…Emilia."

"Pardon?"

"You can call me Emilia, when we're alone like this." Emilia would say, nestling her head against his chest as she did. "I like it more when you call me by my real name."

"Okay then, Emilia." He'd chuckle, looking up to the roof as she kept her arms wrapped around his torso. "So what did you want to say to me?"

"I know the Variant virus we share draws us together, so much that it would feel as if we should be together. But I want you to know, that I do genuinely love you, virus or no virus." She said, smiling as she felt the coolness of his body. "I always feel calm around you, like I can feel safe with you close by. And that I can actually be someone besides Granald Gudenberg's illegitimate child. You gave me the chance to be something more back then, and I'll prove to you that what happened… that I'll make up for everything that happened."

"You have nothing to prove to me Emilia." He'd say, moving down to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Live the way you choose to, and I'll support you the whole way. The past already happened, there's no changing it. So don't let it be the definition to you." He'd then gently play with her hair, getting it out of her face as he looked down to her. "You should get some sleep, it'll be a long day tomorrow."

"I will." She'd sigh with content, closing her eyes as she did. "Goodnight Artorian."

"Goodnight Emilia." He'd say, giving the girl one last smile before looking up, remaining wide awake as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

 _"I know your given situation you require an heir. Should you face an untimely demise or find yourself no longer fit to serve."_

Judal's words echoed in the Lord's mind, the added warning of Karen's predictions making him feel conflicted over the relationships he had formed since coming to Little Garden. His gaze would then go back to Emilia, the princess sleeping peacefully without a worry in the world.

 _'I wonder how you'd all react… if you knew what I am.'_ He'd think, his eyes turning somber as he thought of the burden that came from being the carrier of the Abyss. Not just the one he faced, but the one anyone who had and would form a bond with him. _'I'm sorry it had to be me Emilia, but I'll do everything I can to do you and everyone right.'_

* * *

"I assume you two rested well?" Claire would ask, watching as Artorian and Emilia walked up to her in the Slayer base camp. All of the Slayers were in their variable suits, final preparations going through before Operation: Bird Cage, the joint operation to eliminate the Savage.

The reason for Claire's question came from the bright smile that was on Emilia's face, the girl glowing in enjoyment after the events of last night.

"Yep! Nice, rejuvenated and full of energy!" The girl would respond, patting her bicep as she grinned. "Those beds were surprisingly comfy, despite the condition the hotel was in."

"Pft!" Artorian would scoff playfully, his own smirk impossible to hide. "Yeah, the bed felt sooooo good I bet."

"Hmmm…" Claire hummed suspiciously, giving the two a narrowed stare as she did. "You two didn't do anything last night, did you?"

"What? Us? Claire you must take us for some kind of delinquents." Artorian chuckled, bringing his spare hand up to cover his mouth as he did. "The rules are very important to us, and we know there's a standing rule that on mission we have to remain at our best. Our rest was at the top of our list of priorities."

"…Very well." The president of Little Garden didn't believe the Lord's words for a second, but couldn't act out or call him out on them since she didn't have viable proof. She also knew that they couldn't have done anything too debaucherously, as nothing inappropriate was reported being heard.

"So, any idea on who our teams are?" Emilia would ask, the two having not been present for that part of the venue last night thanks to Claudia.

"Of course." Erica would say, standing next to Claire as she shifted her glasses. "You two happen to be in luck. As the team consists of yourselves, Claire, Claudia and myself."

 _ ***Crack***_

"And like that, the moment's ruined." Artorian sighed, now already predicting the headaches that would come from the mission.

"I mean… I'm happy to be in the same team as Artorian, but why did Claudia get assigned to us as well." Emilia would agree, albeit her mood was harder to crack than the Lord's. "Are we able to change the division somehow?"

"By now that's impossible, I had brought the concern to Lady Gwyndolin, but she rejected the request." Claire answered. "But it's still lucky, as both Erica and I are in the same team as well."

"Yeah… but that's still a problem in its own…" Emilia would mutter.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, I was just talking to myself."

"What about everyone else?" Artorian asked, changing the subject.

"Liddy and Reitia have been assigned on the same team; along them are a Slayer from Al-Salaam and two from Liberia. Their names are listed as Aly Harlech, Wendy Velvet and Jackson Black." Erica detailed, looking at the reports in her glasses' HUD.

"Hope the guy can pull his weight, keeping up with Liddy and Reitia is going to be painful enough." Artorian would chuckle, imagining the hustle that would come from working with the duo.

"Wait, what about Matthew?" Emilia questioned, getting the two student council members to share a worried glance.

"Lady Gwyndolin… had assigned Matthew to her team of Silver Knights."

"And you let him!?" Artorian suddenly turned hostile, looking to the two.

"It is not within our jurisdiction on deciding where our Slayers go. Lady Gwyndolin has the final say in team layouts." Claire answered, crossing her arms under her bust as she looked to the Lord team in disdain, seeing Matthew sit on the bench across from them preforming maintenance on one of his vitality rings. "If it were up to me, he'd be nowhere near them."

"Damn it, poor bastard's going to have to deal with them for an entire day." Artorian growled, his eyes showing genuine concern for his fellow hybrid. "Wish I could go with him."

"You're concerned for him?"

"I hate Matthew's guts, but what happened to his family… it's one of the reasons I hate Lords with a cold passion." He admitted. "Ornstein was an esteemed Dragon Slayer and one of Gwyn's Four Royal Knights. He lost all of that on the second day of the Second Attack, and he lost it for doing the right thing."

"The same day as…" Emilia mumbled, not wanting to bring up sore memory of Artorias' sacrifice during the Second Attack, and the subsequent struggles Artorian faced afterwards.

"I don't like Matthew, but what his family's been put through is an utter disgrace and downright insulting." Artorian would then sigh, shaking his head as he looked to Claire. "I know he'll be fine, but they'll likely give him hell for his father's transgression."

"Should we be concerned for his safety?"

"Now that he has a variable suit and his Hundred? Hell no, he can outpace any of them. But he will likely just take all the abuse they throw at him as long as it isn't physical."

"That's the best we'll have to work with, is it?"

"Basically." He shrugged, recognizing Claire's disappointed tone.

"Claire, we'll be heading out soon." Liddy would say, walking up to the Slayer. "We'll be meeting up with our team and then move out just after you."

"Of course Liddy, good luck." Claire would nod, the two remaining confident in their abilities to complete the job at hand.

"Kick some ass Liddy, and keep an eye open." Artorian added in, referencing the fact that the Hunters were still at large. He felt with Liddy's experience and newfound abilities shew could potentially win fighting against one of the Artificial Variants, but the three together were likely a threat to just about everyone present in the raid.

"I will, and the same goes to you as well." Liddy said, giving the Lord a nod of appreciation for the training with her enhancements before walking off.

"Matthew?" Reitia would speak up, getting said hybrid to look up from his wrist's vitality ring to her. "It looks like, our first official mission together we won't be in the same team."

"We've gone over this Reitia, this was the best option." Matthew said, sighing as he closed the opening in his vitality ring. "I'm the one least likely to retaliate against the Lords, and the least likely one they would try something on."

"I know, but you shouldn't have had to volunteer all by yourself like that." Reitia argued, staring down in disappointment as she rubbed her arm. "You keep putting these burdens on yourself, I know why but you shouldn't keep doing this. They aren't… you can't think risking yourself like this is really the best thing, do you?"

"Reitia." Matthew would calmly say, standing up and placing his hand on the top of her head. "I'll be fine, it takes more than some mean words to get under my skin. And it isn't like they'll let me fight, they'd rather prove how much better they are."

"I… I know but…" Reitia would struggle to say, her cheeks dusting red at the gesture before steeling herself, shaking his hand off and pointing at him with narrowed eyes. "S-Stop patting my head like that! I'm not some little kid anymore."

"I know, you're a Slayer now and a good one at that." Matthew said, walking past her to the team of Silver Knights. "So it would be a shame for you to get crippled or killed in this mission. So be sure to avoid getting hit by a Savage, will you?"

"Jerk… you can just say you care." Reitia would mutter, looking to the side with a small blush before heading for her own team.

"Ugh, here we go." Artorian would groan, seeing Claudia standing with an imposing stance where their team was supposed to meet up.

"Just remember to be careful, I don't expect her to do anything but avoid causing a… you know what, saying that hasn't worked." Claire sighed, recalling the entire last day. "Just… behave, the bare minimum if need be."

"At least you're learning." He said, his shoulders slacking as the quartet walked over to their fifth member.

"Hello Claudia, it's nice to meet you." Claire would speak up, holding her hand out to the Gudenberg Slayer. "My name is Claire Harvey, student council president and commander of Little Garden."

"…I know that. You're famous after all…" Claudia would pout, being wary of the Perfect Queen and refusing to shake her hand.

"I have heard about your relationship with Emile Crossfode, and I also know the purpose of why you were sent here." Claire would continue on, keeping her hands to her side as she regarded Claudia. "However, I will let you know now that Crossfode is an important companion and a valuable fighting power. If her desire is to stay with us, then we will do our utmost to protect him."

"…What are you trying to say?"

"We are going into a forest crawling with Savage, perhaps even more than expected. Each of us will be dependent on the other, I would prefer that none of us are at risk on account of faulty cooperation. So I wish to let my position be known now, if you attempt to take Crossfode, I personally will defend his right to remain. With utmost authority I will add."

"…Fine. I understand my position in this right now." Claudia would say, admitting defeat for now in face of the Perfect Queen. She was determined to bring Emilia back, but she knew well she couldn't compete with a Slayer of Claire's caliber.

"Good, I'm glad we've come to an understanding. And if that's the case…" Claire would then hold her hand out to Claudia again, a confident smile on her as she extended the offer.

"Okay, okay I already said fine!" Claudia grumbled, grasping it back and giving her a firm shake. "But if Degenerate even thinks of laying a hand on Lady Emilia, I'll bury him!"

"Right back at you Gremlin!" Artorian stated back, the two stepping to each other and glaring intensely at each other, although rather comedically as Artorian had to bend down low to stare her in the face.

* * *

"I hate this." Artorian grumbled, rubbing his face as the five walked through the woods. It had been several hours since the start of the operation, and so far they were barely in with little to no encounter with the Savage. They've eliminated two Savage, both regular sized no bigger than three meters, and was such a simple task that most of them didn't require activating their Hundreds.

But that fact wasn't what was bothering the hybrid. Rather, it was the constant glare he could feel drilling a hole into the back of his head from Claudia. As the foremost and most strength reliant member of the team, Artorian was to cover the front and serve as a middle ground for attack and defense. Meanwhile Emilia and Claudia traveled in the middle as the active fighters and Claire staying back for support while Erica carried supplies and the radio device they required for communicating with the other teams and base on her back.

"Getting antsy Artorian?" Emilia asked, getting a shake from his head.

"No, just can't shake a few feelings, the burning glare being one of them." He'd state, looking over his shoulder to Claudia who turned her head and whistled innocently.

"I have a bad hunch as well." Claire added in, looking up to see that more and more clouds were filling the sky. "The weather seems that it might turn for the worst today."

"I'll check the forecast report." Erica responded, data running through her glasses as she connected to her PDA. "So far, there's predictions that it will rain roughly around 9pm to midnight, 50% but that still leaves for guessing when exactly. Any time before and after only show a 10% chance of precipitation. Those three hours hold the biggest concern, but I expect we may encounter some rainfall before then."

"Then we'll want to get to the destination for our campsite before then." Claire concluded. "With luck the shed should already be in position. But I'm concerned if we run into any Savage during the time rain begins to fall."

"Why? It's just rain." Artorian questioned, looking back to the four. "Nothing worse would come than getting muddy or maybe a cold. It isn't that bad."

"Optical weapons like Prez's are weaker when it rains." Emilia explained. "Any kind of debris that causes friction weaken the emitters her cannons have. The same goes for mine, but I can at least transform it into something more efficient."

"Ah, that makes sense."

"Ha, I can't believe you, a man of such degree, that says he doesn't know such a commonsense thing, is worthy of Lady Emilia." Claudia would say, mocking the lord and getting an annoyed growl from him.

"…Worthy of Lady Emilia?" Claire would repeat, sounding it out as a question.

"I told you, she's freaky like that."

"Everyone stop." Erica ordered, the entire team stopping on their next step as she shifted her glasses. "Sound receivers on our equipment are picking up subtle grazing."

"Looks like our guests are back to play some more." Artorian grinned, opening his collar and taking out his variable stone. "Second verse, same as the first?"

"Affirmative." Claire would respond, everyone else following suite and taking out their variable stones.

"Hundred On!" Each Slayer then activated their Hundreds, preparing themselves as the Lord moved up to the front and looked past the tree line around them.

"Two, same as last time." Artorian reported, linking his Hundred blade onto his back and setting his shield on his right arm.

"I will eliminate the one on the left; Artorian, you, Emile and Claudia will take care of the one on the right. Understood?" Claire detailed, calling out the targets for the them to focus on.

"You got it."

"I'll show you once again why my Hundred is superior to yours." Claudia would say, going next to Artorian to have eyes on their target. Her Hundred was a crusher type called Tudor Rose; her forearms and legs covered in silver plated armor and a massive iron ball at the end of her right hand.

"Yeah, yeah sure whatever." Artorian said, lifting his blade to have in parallel to the ground before turning to Emilia. "Ready for this Emile?"

"I got your back." The Slayer nodded, getting an annoyed growl from Claudia.

"Don't speak to Lady Emilia so-!"

"Away we go!" Artorian interrupted, not wanting to hear Claudia's shouting and rushing straight for the Savage.

"I will cover your approach." Claire stated, her six gun batteries floating into the air and firing into the dirt between them and the Savage. When the smokescreen for the team was set up, she'd then turn her attention to her target, firing a full six beams to weaken its armor in the first shot.

The sound of the Savage shrieking could be heard, the two beasts opening their mouths to charge quick blasts to fire into the smoke. Both fired at a single target, a blast going off from the combined power and causing the dust to completely disperse.

Artorian was at the center of the blast, his shield raised and tanking the attack with minimal damage made on his Hundred. Both Claudia and Emilia were ahead of him before the attacks, their cover now gone but unneeded as they approached. The latter of the two would turn her Arms Shroud into a large hammer, spinning the weapon and striking down to break off the Savage's right claw before retreating back.

Claudia was next to reach it, focusing her energy into the ball at the end of her arm and causing large spikes to burst out from it. "Something like you, isn't even going to be worth the energy!" She'd announced, throwing her arm forward sending the ball out, revealing the chain that connected it to her arm. When the flail connected, the Savage visible recoiled back from the impact, a dent appearing on its body as it turned to retaliate.

Grinning, the girl would then jump high in the air with the aid of two small thrusters on her hips, gripping the chain of her Hundred and raising it over her head. Spinning it, she'd swing it down violently to return the attack the Savage sent with its remaining claw, overpowering the beast's attack and destroying the claw and striking at the barrier for the core.

In the single hit, the barrier protecting the core shattered to pieces, falling to the ground as the beast shrieked once more. "Now, finish it off Lady Emilia!"

"On it!" Emilia would respond, rushing forward and jumping up with her hammer held over her head. With a look of determination, she'd swing down with all of her strength, destroying the core with little effort.

"As always, Lady Emilia is superb!"

"It's Emile, not Emilia."

"I refuse to call you such a name when yours is already perfect! And along with that, what did you think? We did a wonderful combination together, it's clear that I'm more useful than Artorian Abyssal correct?" Claudia would exclaim, getting Emilia to look back at her with a look of confusion.

"Wait hold up, did you intend to let me finish this one?"

"That's right, the first moment of true teamwork between the two of us." Claudia would say with a bashful expression, appearing happy with herself as she placed her hands on her cheeks. "You'll see by the end of this it's obvious that I am your ideal partner vastly better than Abyssal in every-!" Before Claudia could finish, the sound of the second Savage shrieking got her to turn around and nearly jump back in shock as it fired a second blast at her.

But before it struck, Artorian slid in front of her with his shield up, blocking the blast and protecting her with little effort. "Claire! If you would be so kind as to just finish this thing off, that'd be great!"

"I'm already on it!" Claire stated, summoning her Buster Canon and charging a blast at the remaining beast. "Disappear!" With a single blast from her Hundred, the Savage's remaining armor over its core was completely obliterated, the core itself shattering and releasing fluid in every direction before the Savage collapsed into a motionless husk.

"Hmph, not bad for a novice." Claudia stated, regaining herself as Artorian stood up.

"Listen here you Britannian whore." The tone of the hybrid completely took the Slayer by surprise, his voice dark as he looked back to her over her shoulder. "That's a one time save. You get yourself in a Savage's sight again, I ain't taking shit for you. Oh, and call me Abyssal one more time and I'll sew your mouth shut while you sleep." His Hundred then deactivated and he caught his variable stone, walking off to the open area's perimeter to keep watch.

"What was that about, I only called him a novice?" Claudia knew the two were on bad grounds, as she saw no need to be more than allies. But the sudden shift in from calling her names to that was completely out of left field.

"You'd be smart to not refer to him by his last name." Emilia warned, her Hundred deactivating as she spoke. "He was born in Yamato, but he was raised with ideals from Lordran. Calling him by his last name is the same as calling him a slur."

"How was I supposed to know that!?"

"Transmitter's set." Erica would announce, the three Slayers turning to see her finish planting a small device with a antenna protruding from it. "The retrieval teams shouldn't have a problem getting these Savage cores with how little resistance there is on our end."

"Good, we start moving right away." Claire would order, looking among the Slayers. "The goal is to get to our assigned campsite before it has a chance to rain. Once we're there, we can rest and communicate with any teams that may need assistance."

"Understood."

* * *

"Four Savage, all five meters." Reseria informed her fellow Lords, holding onto her bow as she aimed a massive arrow, appearing more as a lance to match the size of her weapon. "My shot will destroy the first one, and the resulting spell will stun the others, destroy the core immediately after."

"Ready." The three other Silver Knights responded, getting into position with their weapons. Both Felrick and Hanrocke were armed with the same weapons as yesterday, the former's shield now held by his left hand. Juron was the only one now equipped with a weapon he didn't previously have, a long cross spear made out of worn-down silver, signifying his experience.

No words were then spoken as Reseria fired her arrow, the projectile cutting through the air and impaling right into the middle Savage's core, completely negating the barrier and armor the Savage possessed. Shortly after it connected to the core, lightning began to build up in it until the arrow couldn't hold it any more, creating an explosion of electricity.

The three remaining Savage all shrieked as they were struck by the bolts, serving as the signal for the remaining three Silver Knights to rush forward from their cover. With perfect coordination, the three all picked their targets and moved in with killer intent, their weapons sparking with electricity before colliding against the Savage's armor. With the amplified attacks, the core was shattered with the armor providing little defense.

When they collapsed to the ground, the three Lords ripped their weapons out from the cores and stepped off, Felrick wiping the fluids off of his blade before sheathing it. "Ornisium, get over here and plant the beacon."

After being ordered, Matthew stepped out from his cover in the trees, jumping off his tree and landing at the center of the Savage corpses. Taking a transmitter out from his backpack, the hybrid would be quick to work, although with some difficulty as the Lords continued to speak.

"Be sure not to mess it up, these cores are valuable and must be retrieved as soon as possible." Felrick added on, scoffing as he stepped past the hybrid with a sneer.

"Understood."

"And set it to the correct frequency Ornisium, we only agreed to help in this mission on the grounds we receive every core from a Savage we kill." Hanrocke included, kicking the dirt next to Matthew as he walked past him.

"Understood."

"At least he knows his place." Reseria said as she got out of her vantage position, landing on the dirt and causing the ground to crack from her mass and armor. "We're going ahead, don't fall behind and get lost Ornisium."

"Understood." Matthew would say one last time, finishing planting the transmitter as the three walked off. As he would stand up, he would notice that Juron was still standing by him, his spear in hand as he watched the hybrid. He remained silent as he did, not overstepping his boundary by speaking to the Lord first unless addressed.

"Here." The Lord would eventually say, handing Matthew a ration bar. "You're carrying all of the equipment, it isn't fighting but I noticed you didn't eat much last night."

"Appreciated." Matthew would respond, taking the bar. He remained still as he regarded the Lord, getting Juron to sigh as he turned to walk.

"You're allowed to eat it; the others won't care. Not like eating is something they're against." The Lord would then start to walk, stopping when he noticed Matthew remain in place. "Have a question?"

"You're different, why?" The hybrid simply asked, noting Juron's attitude towards Matthew having been drastically different since the mission's start. Not only that, Juron was the only one who didn't attempt anything when Artorian attacked yesterday, showing he had much more restraint as well. It was rare for a Lord, a Silver Knight in human territory no less, to act in such a way.

"Not everyone forgets the value of your family's name Ornisium." Juron responded, continuing to walk away as he did. "Your father taught me a very important lesson, a deed that's allowed me to grow more in wisdom and strength. I will respect his name by treating you with some dignity, despite his betrayal to the throne."

As the Lord walked away, Matthew would look down to the ration bar. It was completely bland and tasteless, most were as it was meant to recover energy rather than serve a good meal. It wasn't anything a Lord would carry, as they don't require energy recovery since they relied on their magic and physical endurance; along with a handful of helpful herbs and drugs to recover stamina and heal wounds.

Matthew wouldn't question why he had it, his senses telling him everything he needed to know. Taking a bite out of the ration bar, he'd spit it out immediately with intent, seeing a trace of green liquid from the end he held on fly off from the action.

' _It's you, isn't it?'_ He would think, recognizing the design of the spear Juron had before throwing the rest of the ration bar to the side, firing a small spell of lightning top destroy it and evaporate it, small traces of energy leaving where the burn mark remained.

' _There's more than just Hunters here. The question is, is it only these two, or are there more?'_

At Matthew's thoughts, a lone figure would be seen following the group of Lords and the hybrid. Much like the rouge group hiding in the forest, this figure was massive in stature, standing at 7'8 with an impressive build. However he was hidden by a black and violet mist, keeping to the shadows as his red eyes pierced through his cloak. The only determinable feature from his mist was his armor, appearing eastern in nature, and long thin hilt going across his waist horizontally.

When Matthew felt the eyes stare at his back, he'd turn just after the figure vanished, the event sending a dark chill down the hybrid's spine.

"Ornisium, hurry the hell up!" Felrick would shout, Matthew turning away from where the shadow remained to continue following the Lords. He knew something was going to happen tonight, but for once he was uncertain of just what would.

* * *

 **(A/N): And another chapter done, another simple chapter with some action as a means to get the gears going. Thing's will pick up soon, but this arc's going to be a sort of gateway to what future chapters and arcs will have in store. So when that time comes, I'll be more than excited to get to writing. But until then, I'm honestly having fun in writing this arc in terms of conflict. It's a bit confusing now, but when everything starts to be revealed I promise it'll be much more eye opening.**

 **But until then, all I can hope is that you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one. Peace!**


	21. Bane of Lords

"This will decide it!" Reitia shouted, rearing her fist back with her Hundred active and energy coursing across her entire arm. In front of her was a Savage, shrieking in rage as its claw was cut off by Aly moments ago, the girl's dagger coated in Savage fluids as she landed behind it.

Reitia then threw her fist forward, jumping up and slamming it with all her strength into the barrier of the Savage's core. Upon her hit, the barrier shattered and she was forced back, but the energy built up in her arm then shined bright and she swung her fist forward, sending a powerful projectile into the core and obliterating it and a part of the Savage's armor.

"Ha! I got one, look who's too slow now huh!?" Reitia shouted with a toothy grin, turning to the Al Salaam Salyer as she did.

"You only beat it because I dismembered it! If you hadn't stolen my kill like that it would've been down even quicker!"

"Sorry, I don't speak slacker!"

"They're really going at it, aren't they?" Jackson asked with a tired laugh. The boy appeared almost base in stature, his build just above average and his height at 5'8. His jet-black hair and blue eyes gave him at least some identification, his variable suit matching in the same color. Along with that, his Hundred appeared to be a shooter type, a high compact sniper and a headset with a visor to provide better accuracy.

"They're just excited is all, it's both their first mission after all." Wendy would say, smiling encouragingly as she stood next to Jackson to serve as support.

"Regardless of excitement, you two should know better." Liddy would say, pulling her lance out of a second Savage's core as the beast was already slain. As the most experienced, she was serving as the team's captain, and the Slayer was sure to lead through example as she handled the first Savage on her own. "You're wasting energy using all of those flash moves of yours. It's getting late and we have no idea when more Savage appear or the Hunters show up."

"…Yes ma'am." The two shorter girls would murmur, looking at opposite sides of each other as all of their Hundreds deactivated.

"You say that, but you nearly killed that Savage in your first hit ma'am." Jackson noted, turning to Liddy as she jumped off the Savage's corpse. "That had to have taken a chunk of your energy, even with your spiral feature."

"I'm perfectly fine Jackson, you needn't worry about me." Liddy answered, looking down to her variable stone in hand as she did.

 _'All the training aside, I never believed my strength would've grown this rapidly. I can see why humanity created the First Generation Slayers if they had results like this.'_ She'd think to herself, closing her hand around the stone as she remembered the medical reports. _'But to see those outcomes, how could they let it go for so long without improvement?'_

"Liddy?" Reitia would ask, snapping the mentioned Slayer out of her trance as she did. "You okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Liddy stated, placing her variable stone back into her collar. "How's the status on the transmitter Wendy?"

"I only need a minute to finish setting it up." The blonde answered, kneeling to the ground as she planted the device into the dirt next to one of the Savage corpses.

"Good, we'll move out as soon as you're done. As for you two." Liddy would say, turning to Reitia and Aly. "I expect you to start rationing your energy better. No more of these new attacks or competitions on who can defeat the Savage first. We are not rivals here, not when in the middle of a mission."

"Yes ma'am."

"It'll get dark soon, we should hurry to our campsite before the moon rises." She ordered, walking ahead as she did. "Keep an open ear, we don't know if any of the wildlife has been mutated by the Savage."

"Understood."

* * *

"It's starting to rain." Artorian would note, feeling a raindrop hit his forehead. By now six hours had gone by since the beginning of the operation, and the sun was just about gone from sight while the moon was raising up more. The team had reached their campsite roughly a few minutes ago, but while some held the area others were sent to collect the supplies for camp at the drop off.

"Well we made it, so that's better than nothing." Claudia would say, struggling to hold up her end of the crate while the two walked.

Initially, it had been planned that Artorian and Emilia would go an collect the camp supplies, but Claudia had risen up a storm about how "The Hands of Lady Emilia mustn't suffer!" and went with the Abysswalker instead. Luckily neither had anything to say, so most of the trip was spent in silence, albeit with tension thick in the air.

"You know I can carry this myself, right?" Artorian said offhandedly, looking to his side at the Gudenberg Slayer's struggling. "Since keeping up with both my strength and height are clearly too much, you can let go if you really want to."

"No! I will not be upstaged in front of Lady Emilia!" Claudia would announce, a fire lighting in her eyes as she returned Artorian's stare. "I will not be undermined by you Degenerate!"

"Whatever you say Gremlin." Artorian spoke, increasing his pace and nearly making Claudia fall over from the shift in weight.

"Hey! You did that on purpose!"

"And unfortunately you didn't fall."

"Grrrrr!"

The two would walk for a few minutes before reaching Emilia, Claire and Erica; once they made it, Claudia put down her side and gasping in relief from the weight having put so much pressure on her shoulder. Meanwhile Artorian simply shifted his off him, making sure it didn't shift the earth when he did.

"Thank you Artorian, we should begin setting up the tent right away." Claire would say, kneeling down to the box and opening it up, pulling out the manifesto that listed everything they had. A large tent, made to fit a total of five people, five sleeping bags and enough combat rations to go around.

"Hey, I helped too…"

"And I'm grateful for your volunteer. But for now we need to focus on getting out of the rain." Claire responded to Claudia's whining, handing Erica the paper before pulling out the tent.

"Here, let me help with that." Emilia would offer, going down next to the president and helping unfurl and set up the tent.

Artorian would help as well, keeping the cover up and out of the two's way while they worked on the foundation and worked their way up. It didn't take long to finish the tent, and the moment it was done everyone got in immediately to stay out of the rain just as it started to pour down.

"Erica, call in to Xuemei. Let her know we've reached our campsite." Claire ordered, the girl nodding in response as she placed their communication node down and tuned in.

Immediately into informing the Little Garden Slayer of their position, Liu then informed the team that over half of the other teams had all made it to their own sites, including Liddy and Matthew's teams. As Claire and Erica spoke with Liu, Artorian would sit next to the tent's entrance, leaving it opened slightly so that he could look outside and keep an eye on their surroundings.

"Restless?" Emilia would ask, sitting next to him as he looked out.

"Kinda, just wondering when the Hunters will act." He admitted. "But I'm actually trying to get rid of that, I like to watch the rainfall when it rains like this."

"You do?"

"Yeah, it was one of the ways I used to put myself to sleep back when I was little." He answered, chuckling once as he thought back.

"Aw, I can imagine a little you looking out the window now." Emilia would coo, smiling at the idea of Artorian being one of those kids who used to be fascinated by everything. "That's precious."

"And now look at me, 6'5 and raging with both adrenaline and hormones." He'd smirk, putting his elbow on his knee while resting his cheek on his palm. "Well, one of those was at least solved for now anyways."

"Ehehe, yeah…" Emilia would blush, thinking to their shared time together last night. "It's too bad we couldn't… I-I mean it isn't that big of a deal." The girl would catch herself, looking away from Artorian as she did.

 _'You can't just go saying that! Not when everyone's here and could hear what we did!'_

"Aw, you're embarrassed." Artorian would chuckle, patting Emilia's head as he teased her. "That's adorable."

"Hey! You're not allowed to touch Lady Emi-bah!" Before Claudia could continue, Artorian swiftly moved his other arm forward and delivered a judo chop on her shoulder, knocking the girl out by hitting a pressure point and having her fall backwards.

"Any complaints with that?"

"Normally I'd say to refrain from hitting your comrades, but just this once as I'm listening to Xuemei report the status of everyone and there's now more confirmed silence… I will overlook it as her collapsing from exhaustion." Claire would say, no real objection from the remaining two as they all went back to what they were doing.

"Yay, peace and quiet for a few minutes." Artorian sighed, the group waiting while Claire finished up her call with Liu, cutting the communication once completed.

About an hour would go by as the team remained in the tent, watching as the rain came down without restraint. As it had been several long hours since the start, Claire had decided now was the best time to pull out the rations that were in the crate, handing them out. Everyone accepted the circular aluminum packs, Claudia having woken up minutes before the president's decision for them to eat.

"Oh, these look good." Emilia said as she opened up the aluminum, seeing that the pack contained three cookies. The cookies were a superfood designed by a joint scientist group from the UN, meant to provide enough calories for a Slayer to operate for an entire day.

"Well, they certainly beat the combat rations the Lords are probably eating." Artorian would note, having broken a piece off and ate it. The cookie had the taste of its appearance, completely bland with nothing of real worth besides a small hint of sugar. The food was meant to keep their energy and strength up, not serve as a good tasting meal.

 _ ***** **Grumble***_

Or filling either, if Emilia's grumbling stomach was anything to go by.

"Ugh… I'm still hungry." The girl grumbled, her gluttonous stomach desiring as she had practically scarfed down her cookies. "The ones I had in training were a lot better when they also had meat paste to offer. Even canned food would be good…"

"It can't be helped; our current meal is from Al-Salaam, so it's bound to not have much taste to it." Claire would state, only on her second cookie as she sat on the other side of the tent's opening across from the Lord. "Which reminds me, Palladian has supplied us for tomorrow's meals; which consists of crackers for breakfast and a cereal bar for lunch."

"Noooo… nothing delicate. There's nothing else?"

"I told you to slow down." Artorian teased, surprisingly still on his first cookie. The Lord had a similar appetite to Emilia, quite able to match her eating and then some if he were really hungry. But he also had more restraint with his hunger, knowing eating the cookies slowly would be somewhat more filling than scarfing them down.

"Oh, there's still a few left. Can I eat another bag?"

"Eating is prohibited." Erica responded, grabbing the sack from the center and setting it beside her, tying it closed to prevent any attempts by the snow haired Variant.

"Nooooooooo…"

"The extras are strictly for emergencies, should any of us run out of energy in the middle of a fight or become sick." The Slayer explained. "As he holds the lowest amount of energy of us, and burns through it the quickest, the remaining packs are to be saved for Artorian unless any of us face certain conditions."

"No fair." Emilia pouted, crossing her arms as she did.

"As Variants we require a similar calorie intake, but as a half Lord I burn through mine much quicker." Artorian responded, seeing Emilia's eyes dart to him during her pout as he took another bite of his cookie. "I probably won't need them, as I can keep fighting even without energy. But breaking a Savage's hide will certainly get harder and wear down on me. So I actually agree with Four-Eyes, you ate too fast and now must suffer the consequences."

"But Artoriaaaan…"

"Suffer."

"Here Lady Emilia, have one of mine!" Claudia would say, holding out her last cookie to the girl. "Unlike Artorian, I'm more than willing to share with you!"

"…I'll pass."

"Whhhhhhhyyyyy!?" Claudia would cry as Emilia pulled her knees to herself, refusing to accept the bribery despite her stomach's occasional grumbling.

"And like that, Emile is now tied with Erica for the purest one here for not taking bribery." Artorian would say, pausing as he remembered last night and took another bite of his cookie. "I take that back, Four-Eyes is the best of us."

"Thank you… I think?" The mentioned Slayer would say, raising an eyebrow at the supposed compliment despite the common insult for her glasses.

"The rain appears to be stopping." Claire would speak up, getting the team's attention as they heard the pressure of the droplets go down. "It's starting to get late, and while it's unlikely I would like to divide us into two teams to keep watch for any wildlife or Savage attack us while we sleep. We'll be on a rotation of four hours, with the meals we've taken it will be enough to keep us focused even with less sleep."

 _ ***Grumble***_

"…Almost all of us."

"You're all bullies." Emilia would mumble, her head poking up before she raised her hand. "Wait Prez, quick question?"

"Yes, Emile?"

"Our team is made up of five people, which means that if we split the team into two groups, one of them will only have two people in it." Emilia would start, motioning between Claudia and Artorian. "If Artorian and Claudia are in the same team, I think that'll end up rather… bad."

"Oi."

"I see. In that case, the four of us from Little Garden will split into pairs and Claudia will join one of the two." Claire decided, fixing the problem of the trouble makers ending up together alone.

"If so, then I call dibs on being Artorian's partner." Emilia said, hugging Artorian's arm as she did. "You can stay in here and sleep while we have first watch."

"Do not even think that Crossfode, you two being alone together is just as dangerous as him being with Claudia." Claire argued, pointing to the Slayer.

"Oi!"

"Claire, I agree that it's dangerous for Artorian to be with Emilia, but I think it's dangerous for a man to be alone with a woman period!" Claudia would throw her own two cents in, the team ignoring Artorian entirely.

"Oh please, I'm physically stronger than all four of you combined. If I wanted to do anything, I would be able to do it."

.

.

.

"…Okay I… I just registered what I said, and I genuinely apologize for that." The hybrid stated, the awkward silence giving him the second to realize his words and retreat back on them. "But I at least have attention, maybe not the kind I want, but it'll do. We don't need to worry about juggling on which team I'm on."

"And why would that be?"

"I don't sleep, often anyways. I can stay awake the entire night and stay with both groups when it's their turn."

"I cannot allow that Artorian, we are in the middle of a mission and we can't have you slowing down from lack of sleep."

"Day seven." Artorian stated, confusing the blonde. "I'm on day seven of being awake, I can go for at least twenty before I show signs of exhaustion or actually fall asleep. And with two more of these…" The hybrid would say, shaking the two cookies he has. "I won't even feel the need for a wink if need be."

"Seven days of straight consciousness, how are you even still functioning." Erica would question. "Most people begin to hallucinate after three days without sleep."

"The Lord half in me makes it easier, and I'm not a fan of what I see when I sleep." The Lord would mention, dodging the more precise details on his lack of sleep. "So how about this; Emile and Erica will come out with me in the first shift since you can trust her to be truthful and I don't have to worry about you two arguing the entire time, and then you and Claudia will take the second shift with me?"

"Hold on, why does Crossfode go first?" Claire asked, getting a raised eyebrow from the boy.

"Seriously, that's what you ask first?"

"W-Well I just wish to understand your reasoning obviously." The blonde would stutter, looking to the side as she felt embarrassed from being called out.

"What's the matter Prez, jealous he wants to spend time with me more?" Emilia would ask, a smug smile on her face.

"W-What are you implying Crossfode?"

"Either catfight or I'm out." Artorian would speak out, confusing the two and getting him to chuckle as he separated himself from Emilia and stepped out of the tent. "I'll find whatever I can and start the fire, you four can decide if you don't agree with my idea."

The Lord would then quickly gather whatever wood he could find that wasn't completely soaked, adding a few leaves in when he stacked them together a few meters away from the tent. Keeping a small stick in hand, the Lord would reach for his collar's back storage compartment and pull out a small lighter; the lighter had clearly seen better days, the paint completely scratched off aside from a faint "WL" on the side.

Flipping the top off and creating a spark, the Lord would hold the lighter's flame next to the stick, making sure to avoid setting it on fire yet as to dry it off. After a minute of waiting, he'd feel the stick was dry enough and ignited a flame at the end and held it over his pile, aiming to dry and ignite the leaves first.

"You've already sparked a flame?" Hearing Erica speak up, the hybrid would chuckle as she and Emilia stepped out from the tent.

"Yep, it pays to be impatient sometimes." Artorian commented, holding the lighter out to his side and flipping the lid back on, extinguishing the flame.

"Please tell me we don't have to add smoking to your list of bad habits."

"Nah, can't stand the nicotine. Leaves a horrible taste in my mouth." Artorian responded, the girls going out more to grab several rocks and setting them around the bonfire as it lit, the fire spreading across the wood and leaves to create a bright flame.

"Then why have one? Aesthetic?"

"Memento." He simply answered, not delving further as he stood up and placed the lighter back into his collar.

"I see, sorry if I was intruding."

"You're fine Four-Eyes, you're just curious." He'd say, appreciating the girl's reconcile before sitting on the stone next to Emilia. "So Claire was alright with this?"

"Yes, she agreed with your logic in having her rest first and recover to better prepare for the long day."

"Which means we can finally relax without the two biggest problems." Emilia smiled, resting her head on Artorian's shoulder. "I wish it could just be the two of us, but this works too."

"I mean, either way I'm in the company of attractive women right now, so I can live with it."

"Wrong tree Artorian."

"Give me time Four-Eyes, that may change a little." Artorian grinned, winking to Erica at her comment, getting her to roll her eyes and look away, albeit with a smile she failed to hide.

"You're an odd one Artorian, I'll admit that."

"Apparently it's charming, based on the company I have back on Little Garden."

"Artorian." Emilia spoke with a glare, keeping her eyes focused in the hybrid. "You are not flirting with Erica of all people right now."

"Just because she has no interest yet doesn't mean I can't have a little fun."

"Jerk."

"Love you too Emile."

* * *

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Juron would ask as he stepped out of a cave, seeing Matthew sitting beneath a tree. As the Lords refused to even use material created by humans, they favored finding natural shelter instead and made a detour to the cave. As for Matthew, the latter three Lords had him remain out during the storm, serving as the watcher for them while they rested.

"Fine, most of the rain didn't touch me." Matthew responded, his lightning dancing across his body as it dried off the rain that had landed on him past his spell.

"Mind if I sit next to you?" The Lord would ask, getting no response from Matthew. Knowing it was more of a sign of his consent wasn't important, the Lord grabbed a larger rock and dragged it out more, sitting on it and looking to Matthew. "Did you get any more rations to eat?"

"Hanrocke threw them out, mostly got covered in mud but some of the nutrients stuck around after I cleaned it." Matthew answered, keeping it simple as he looked past the Lord to the trees.

' _Exalted, he's been using his magic for an hour with little rations throughout the entire day?'_

"Here, it's not much but I managed to grab some of the rations the humans left before Reseria destroyed them." Juron said, reaching into his armor and pulling out a pack of the ration cookies.

"Why?"

"Because as much as they don't believe it, I know you have a lot of potential to show us." Juron answered, handing the cookies to Matthew. "There's so much you could do, and the Lords are too blind to understand that. They overlook you because of your father's failure, despite his actions along with Abyssal's getting them a stronger voice in the UN's politics."

"Not much use, they barely involve themselves." Matthew noted, opening the packet and breaking a piece off the first cookie, seeing none of the green fluid from the ration bar in it and taking a bite from it.

"A shame, really. Perhaps a more outspoken human mind would serve as a means to better the Lords. Your father seemed to see it that way."

"Desperate times came, he warmed up to Artorias' ideals after his Vessels took heavy casualties in their first mission in Lordran."

"Yes, I remember hearing about that. But that wasn't what brought his shame on your family."

"No, it wasn't."

"They don't make that information public; would you be willing to tell me?"

"Why bother asking, you already know." Matthew called out, his face down but his eyes looking up with a narrowed stare. "You probably have more information than I do, after all your liege was there in person."

"How did you… no I should have known better." Juron smiled underneath his helmet, sighing as he placed his hands on his knees. "So you saw through it, when exactly did you catch on?"

"Yesterday when we first encountered you." Matthew answered, finishing his first cookie and looking straight to the Lord. "Your spear isn't the same kind they give to Silver Knights, not even the average Dragon Slayer gets them. And there's only one family that gets those casts."

"I suppose my illusion spells are rusty." The Lord chuckled, rubbing the back of his helmet as he stared to Matthew. "So, are you going to tell the others?"

"They wouldn't believe me, you know that."

"True, but hearing about me might draw some attention."

"Wouldn't matter, you were removed from the Annals as well. You're irrelevant to them, no different than Aby… Artorian."

"Ah, you respect him?"

"He's strong, and he's done well to look after his friend." Matthew admitted, eating his second cookie as he conversed with the Lord. "Aside from that, his status as an Abysswalker is the only thing that gives him importance."

"And yet you chose to be a part of this team than one with him where you can keep a close eye on him?"

"I will do my job when it is needed, an Abysswalker with as little control as him is a greater danger than you or "He" could ever be."

"I'm surprised you know of him at all, I would've figured your father would've avoided ever speaking about him."

"He told me when I was six, back when he still looked up to him. When he looked up to you, even after you abandoned him."

"Ornstein was always one to respect his predecessors. He learned every Dragon Slayer form, spear, sword, axe, bow, he was the most promising knight recorded to come from the Ornisium family. But talent only could get him so far. And the Lords abandoned him when he made his final choice."

"Where are you going with this?"

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about, and I don't see any better time than now." The Lord said, his gaze shifting to the side as he saw the same shadowy figure that was following them earlier appear in the distance. "I can only speak about it to you in private, we cannot risk the others hearing."

"And if something comes and attacks them."

"Their Lords, they can handle themselves. Besides, their blood doesn't mean anything to the throne, if they die there's no real loss and no need for Gwyn to take it as a transgression." Juron spoke, almost flinching when the shadow's eyes moved to clash with his own.

"There's something you're not telling me."

"There's a lot you're not being told, but I will explain everything to the best of my abilities." Juron answered, standing up as he looked down to Matthew. "Will you come?"

"I'll hear what you have to say." Matthew stated, eating the last cookie and crushing the wrapping in his hand, turning it to dust with a spark of lightning. "I make no promises we'll walk away from it without a fight. Regardless of our blood I will hold my promise."

"That's all I ask."

* * *

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Claire would say, sitting on top of a boulder. Almost four hours have passed, and the two teams had made their switch, with Artorian staying out with the president and Claudia to continue watch.

"There's so many stars, I never get tired of looking up to them." The girl would admit, taking a second to look down to Artorian who was leaning against the rock. "What do you think?"

"Eh, I haven't been a big fan of stars to be honest." He'd shrug. "But I will admit, they helped out when it was important for me."

"Back in Liberia, I never got to see stars that often. And after the First Attack if I wasn't adapting and learning to use energy, I was studying and training to prepare using a Hundred. Star gazing is surprisingly something very new to me."

"Same stars now as there were ten years ago, and the same as a hundred. You haven't missed out on much."

"Come now, even you must admit it's calming to see all of those stars." Claire said, looking down to hybrid. "Such bright sigils in a sea of darkness, not far off from our situation."

"Also a reminder that the Savage are out there, and any one of those stars could have been the source of heat and energy that gave life to the planet they came from."

"There must be something positive you think of them, back when you were a kid?"

"…I used to count them." The hybrid admitted. "If it wasn't raining, I'd count every single star I could until I fell asleep. And one day the habit paid off, and I managed to save Karen by the time the Second Attack ended."

"And now you work hard to protect her, throwing your own well-being to the wind." Claire continued, smiling faintly as she closed her eyes. "You and I share a common goal, albeit with much different results in mind."

"Hmm?"

"You aim to protect Karen, and so are willing to become a Slayer and fight the Savage. I picked up the responsibility of being a Slayer because of my mother, but I had truly molded into it once Liza was born." The blonde stated, thinking about her little sister as she did. "I would do anything for her, despite her energy she's still just a little girl. It doesn't matter who or what I have to face, I'll use all my power and win so that she can be safe."

"So we're both extremely stubborn for the sake of those close to us? Heh, explains why we butt heads so much." The Lord would chuckle, getting a smile from the president as he loosened up. "Guess we're an odd pair then, fighting for the world with a common goal but different methods. Sounds like a recipe for disaster."

"More of a balance check. Perhaps through working together, we can better understand each other and grow, developing more as Slayers and as protectors."

"I'll warn you, you'll likely pick up suicidal tendencies if we have too many fights together."

"Then I'll be the one that prevents you from doing that."

"Er, sorry to step in on your good time, but do you two have a minute?" Stepping towards the pair, Claudia would speak up, getting their shared attention.

"What exactly do you mean by stepping in on our "good time" Lowetti?"

"Two people comparing their life drives and desires to keep the other safer, such a romantic scene isn't it?"

"Th-That is not what has happened!"

"Kinda with Claire on this one, I talked about my suicidal actions when fighting, not very romantic in my personal opinion."

"Look, the point I'm trying to make is that I spoke up for a reason."

"Yeah, sure you did."

"Believe me or not, but I know for a fact that I had detected something." Claudia stated, pointing to the tree line to her side. "Over there, in the direction of the lake at the center of the forest I swear I saw the trees shake and a subtle animalistic clicking."

"You don't think?"

"The chances of it being a Savage is higher than I would like to admit." Claire responded, jumping off the rock to land next to Artorian.

"It needs to be investigated, and since you two work so well together I'd say it would be better if you went." Claudia would say, getting deadpanned glances from the two as she did. "What? It's clear Artorian has no desire top work with me, and we have no chemistry together Claire. Wouldn't it be best to guarantee the best team to take out a Savage this close to our camp?"

"…Even so, are you certain that you'll be alright alone?" Claire would ask, knowing well the Gudenberg Slayer had an alternative reason for wanting the two to be off on their own. "Perhaps we should wake Erica and Emile."

"No! They need their sleep after all." Claudia argued. "I'll be able to handle anything that attempts to ambush us, and even then I'll be certain to contact the two of you right away. I won't put Lady Emilia's life in jeopardy like that."

"Well, I suppose checking the area wouldn't be too much of a risk, as long as you follow your word and contact us the moment you spot any more movement."

"Of course! And hey, since you'll already be over there, why not take a stop by the lake if you don't see anything?" Claudia recommended, getting a raised eyebrow from Artorian. "And with the sky so clear, stargazing by the lakeside, there'd be no better of a romantic spot to have a date out here."

"A-A date!?"

"Huh, not bad of an actual spot to enjoy if there aren't Savage." The president and Lord's differed vastly, with the blonde's face turning red while the boy rubbed his chin in consideration.

 _'Yes, it's just as I suspected!'_ Claudia smirked internally, recognizing Claire's growing embarrassment while the Lord remained ever neutral. _'She does have feelings for him, and he has no problems going on a date with her. If I can play this right, Lady Emilia will see that he's a no-good two-timer who only cares about being with women. And when she does, she'll realize that he isn't worth staying with and come back home!'_

"So anyway, don't you worry your lovebird heads while you're out. I'll hold down the fort while you go by the lakeside!" Claudia promised, a mischievous grin on her face as she made her promise.

"W-Well regardless we must get moving." Claire would say, walking off in hopes to hide her blush. "Come on Artorian, we'll investigate the apparent sighting."

"It'll be a nice mini-date." Artorian stated, kicking his blade and catching it before following, pausing next to Claudia to speak to her. "For the record, I know you're trying to set me up in order to try getting Emile to hate me. But I'll tell you it won't work, and you'll just whine more. Meanwhile I get the beautiful Claire Harvey to enjoy by myself. Thank you, Gremlin."

"It is n-not a date Artorian!" Claire shouted behind her as Artorian passed Claudia, the girl growling at the Lord as he walked away. "It is patrolling!"

"Yeah, sure thing Claire. We'll go with that." The Lord chuckled as he caught up to her. "See how long you keep that charade up."

* * *

"Everything's in place." Nesat would inform, her eyepatch open as her eye glowed bright.

"It's about time! I was starting to think the Slayer dogs were never going to all make it!" Nakri responded, jumping off a tree branch and land on the ground, grinning widely to reveal her sharpened teeth. "I'll finally get a chance to pay back the lightning bastard and his little girlfriend."

"One step at a time Nakri." Krovanh stated, placing a calming hand on his cousin's shoulder. "First we have to gather as many variable stones from the Slayers close by. As for him, he's lower on the list of targets Vitaly gave us. Remember, Harvey and Abyssal are the ones we need to draw out, we can worry about the others after."

"…Fine." The girl groaned, although her grin remained as her eyes narrowed in anger. "He'll do good enough for now, after what Vitaly did to us for him getting a lucky punch!"

"On that…" Krovanh would say, his eyes widening in rage as his iris turned golden with his Variant virus activating. "I couldn't agree more!"

Meanwhile, Nesat simply stared at her brother and cousin silently as she activated the jammer Vitaly gave them. Despite the recent injections, Nesat's mental capacity was still clear in comparison to the others. And while they were running off the anger and pain from Vitaly's "sessions" to prepare them for this mission, she was thinking of their last encounter with the Abysswalker.

According to the scientist, he was the pure example of what the Slayers of Warslran represented: destruction, subjugation and self-interest. And while his apparent views on the people he saved from the Savage was an example of this, it didn't explain the lengths he went to protect both his fellow Slayer and the idol Sakura when they attacked.

He made himself the center of Krovanh's attention to draw him away from Emilia, and when he charged head first for Sakura, he didn't even blink as he pushed her out of the way and took his attack. When she copied his Hundred, Nesat could actually feel the dark nature behind Artorian's energy; his very presence felt like an omen. But it contradicted his actions on the Zwei Islands.

 _'What is he that Vitaly fears?'_ Nesat would think, her eyepatch reforming back over her eye to deactivate her powers.

"Hey, you okay?" Krovanh asked, snapping his sister out of her thoughts as he gave her a concerned glance. "Is your eye bothering you? Are the injections beginning to act up again?"

"No, I'm okay." Nesat responded, subconsciously placing a hand over her covered eye at the mention of it. "Just thinking a bit."

"Let me know if it starts to strain you again, I don't want either of you getting hurt." Krovanh said, his concern for his sister remaining as he turned to the cliffside they stood on. "You're all I have left, so don't push yourselves too far."

"The same can be said to you, Vitaly was extra harsh on your latest injections." Nakri called out, Krovanh grunting as the injection marks on his neck flashed with a numb pain at the reminder.

"I don't care, I asked her to give me the extra sessions. If Harvey is going to be here, I have to be as strong as possible to beat her." He proclaimed, the variable stone implanted into his hand glowing as he stared into the forest. "I'll take all the pain and more, I'll win and make sure the world becomes truly free!"

"You won't be alone." Nesat stated, both her and Nakri holding onto his hands, reminding him that he wasn't going to carry the burden alone. "We'll defeat the Slayers and break free from Vitaly in time. Just don't burn yourself up to do it."

"Of course not." Krovanh would sigh, relaxing at his family's presence. "We'll always be together, we won't ever be separated. Now then, let's get hunting!"

* * *

"Where the hell is Ornisium!?" Felrick shouted, stepping out of the cave to see that the hybrid wasn't at his post. "You had one job you foul blooded waste of space, and you fail at the most basic of levels! The fact you're given a chance to "redeem" you father's mistakes is sin enough!"

"Juron's gone as well." Hanrocke noted as well, stepping out alongside his fellow Lord, Reseria being the last out.

"No doubt showing Ornisium some "compassion" and helping him search for food, I knew we shouldn't have let some random knight come along for this mission! Now he's giving the half-breed undeserved sympathy and splitting our findings more than they have to be!"

"Then perhaps we should correct the two problems at hand." Hanrocke spoke, grinning as he looked over to Felrick. "Juron's just another face in the Silver Knights, and Lady Gwyndolin won't complain over spilt blood of an Ornisium. Just another casualty in the war against the abominations."

"Lady Gwyndolin explicitly said Lord Gwyn desires Ornisium alive for as long as possible." Reseria responded, stepping between the two as she did. "I care not for Ornisium, however what Gwyndolin and Gwyn state is law. I will not let you disobey orders for your own selfish desires of purifying Lord blood."

"Oh come now Reseria, even you must hate seeing Ornisium pretend to have any worth in his name, after his failure of a father and whore of a mother produced such a filthy being it's our duty in order to correct yet another of the Ornisium's mistakes." Felrick spoke, looking to the female Lord. "And who knows, Juron may have been killed by the half-breed in an attempt to make a name for himself. Tell me, wouldn't Lady Gwyndolin want us to properly dispose of a traitor as well as a disgrace? I'm sure he would gladly reward you for your services."

"That is low, even for you Felrick." Reseria would state, turning her head away at her fellow Lord's words. It was hardly a secret she revered Gwyndolin, even more than his father as most view as the God above all. And to please the Moonlight Lord was her whole purpose of being a Blade of the Darkmoon. And it is true that it's Lord Gwyn that desires Matthew to survive, the Darkmoon himself putting no personal feelings on the line.

"The Ornisium line doesn't deserve the chance to redeem itself, after the Starving Lion disobeyed Lord Gwyn's own personal orders for his own selfish whims." Hanrocke would state, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. "We're preventing future insubordination, it's our duty as Silver Knights in Lord Gwyn's service to do just that."

"…Very well, for the sake of Lordran and the future of our people." Reseria would relent, turning back to the two. "Felrick, you'll need to trace their magic before we can effectively make a move on them. Once we know where they are, we'll figure out the best method to-"

"Betrayal and deceit, nothing less from the Lords of Lordran." A calm voice would speak up, the Lords all brandishing their weapons and turning to the source. What they saw was the same shadowy figure as Juron, however as they turned to it the figure would step out of his cloak of shadows, revealing his form to the Lords as he did.

Immediately the three realized the man was a Lord, with his imposing size standing taller than the other Lords present. His eastern armor was now completely visible, the sash on his waist tattered while the rest of the cloth gear appearing to lose its color and the armor pads chipped. However the most notable parts of the man were his helmet and weapon, the headgear designed like a demon with three sets of eyes while the weapon was an nagamaki, the combined size of the blade nearly equaling the Lord before them.

"It appears that no matter how much time has passed, Lords such as yourself will continue to thrive and prosper while the world around you rots. Truly a shame." The Lord would say, the sword attached to the back of his waist visibly stained in fluorescent green fluid. "Tell me, how many cores were you expecting to get out of this little "expedition"?"

"You bastard, what did you do?" Felrick would question, his sword and shield sparking with lightning as he growled.

"I simply did my duty to this world and destroyed the cores' main bodies, reducing them to variable stones that are worthless to Lords such as us." The Lord admitted, standing perfectly calm while the others all had their weapons brandished at him.

"How dare you, this is official business for the kingdom of Lordran!"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe I've seen far more humans than Lords in these woods lately. I'd say that makes more of their business than a worthless kingdom extending its meaningless rule."

"You dare speak ill of Lordran's reign!?" Felrick shouted, charging at the Lord as he remained in place. "Such views are blasphemy and insubordination! I will eliminate you here and now for such treachery!" When the Silver Knight reached him, he went for an immediate stab, expecting his speed to be enough to run right through the Lord before a reaction even came.

But in the blink of an eye, the Lord across from him stepped past him with a bright flash going between them. Felrick took two steps forward as he stopped himself, his eyes wide in shock as he barely registered the Lord's movements. The shock then turned to rage as he looked down, blood freely falling from his shield arm as it got cut.

"Sloppy movements, you lack precision in your movements. But what was I expecting from a Silver Knight?" The Lord asked, turning to face Felrick as he now had his nagamaki in hand, the blade now stained with both Savage fluid and blood.

"You will not speak ill of Lordran any further you bas-GAH!" When Felrick attempted to turn and strike again, he was interrupted as the Lord instantly slashed out, his blade hitting where he cut previously and going further. By the end of his movement, the Silver Knights stared in surprise as Felrick's forearm came clean off, the cut clean and perfect.

The Lord then quickly mov ed his blade behind him, blocking Hanrocke's downward slash with his axe, catching the weapon and keeping him back with one arm. The Silver Knight was caught off guard at the ease of being blocked but focused his magic more and charged his weapon with lightning, the Lord wincing from the bolt and pushing him back.

Felrick then swung up at him, the Lord stepping back to dodge before ducking under Hanrocke's follow up attack. Twisting his blade, he'd catch the axe again, this time trailing it up the polearm and right up to the Silver Knight's armor. Just as it was about to reach, the Lord stopped his attack and jumped back, avoiding three massive arrows from Reseria.

"You've made a fatal mistake here, rouge." Reseria would state, her entire bow lighting up with lightning as she aimed another arrow at him. "We aren't just any Silver Knights, we're Lady Gwyndolin's Blades, next to the Black Knights and Knights of Gwyn we're some of the best Lordran have to offer."

"Blades of the Darkmoon? Do you honestly believe that means anything?" The Lord asked, standing straight as he looked to the three. "I had dismembered one of you in two moves, one of which none of you followed. I believe it's clear a Knight of Gwyn is needed here. But if Gwyndolin's here, perhaps I should pay him a visit, give him a message for his father."

"You will go nowhere near Lady Gwyndolin!" Reseria proclaimed, firing an arrow at the Lord who slashed it in half. When he was done with the swing, both Hanrocke and Felrick were right in front of him, in the midst of their next swing with determination in their eyes. The Lord would move to the side to avoid Hanrocke's axe, and block Felrick's sword with relative ease as the Silver Knight pushed against him.

He then pushed him away, blocking Hanrocke's axe and forcing it to the side, kicking the Silver Knight into his ally before reaching to his left and catching the next arrow shot at him, looking over to Reseria. When he saw the Lord grin underneath her helmet, he'd look back to the arrow in time as an explosion of lightning went off from it, kicking dust and debris everywhere.

"Now!" Getting up with enhanced speed, both Felrick and Hanrocke charged the cloud of dust and swing forward, hearing the sound of flesh tearing along with blood flying from their attacks hitting their targets. But as the were about to pull back, a sudden pressure was taken on their weapons, holding them in place despite their efforts to pull back.

"Quite the spell, I don't recall delayed explosions being a tool from Lordran." The Lord would say, the dust settling and revealing Felrick's sword going through his chest while Hanrocke's axe went into his stomach, both injuries bleeding profusely. However the Lord made no signs of being worried, his hand wrapped around the sword's blade and the other on the axe's polearm as he remained there.

"Tch!" Seeing the Lord not even phased by the impalement, both Felrick and Hanrocke focused their magic and sent lightning into the man. They could see the electricity blast into him, large chunks of flesh being ripped apart from the spells. But despite that, the Lord held on with little concern, even getting a laugh out of him as he coughed out blood.

"How peculiar, but a worthless effort regardless." The Silver Knights were confused by the Lords resilience despite getting two holes blasted through him, but paused in shock as they saw his blood drip out from his injuries and out from his helmet. It wasn't the scarlet red as expected, but a dark, almost consuming black that matched the darkness that surrounded them.

"Your tricks are entertaining, but I think it's time you understand your position here." Opening his eyes, the Lord's eyes would glow bright red, at the same time a black and violet mist began to escape from his body.

"No…" Reseria muttered in fear, her eyes widening in realization at the mist that was coming from him. "Hanrocke, Felrick, get back now!"

The two Lords wouldn't listen, attempting to course more of their magic to cause further damage to the Lord, but were stopped as the mist intensified more, cutting off the magic going towards him halfway up their blades. When they looked up, they saw the shining red eyes pierce through the mist, a crazed glow coming from them as a dark truth resurfaced.

"Aby-!" Before Felrick could finish speaking, the man brought his sword up and cut across his head, everything above his mouth coming off and being flung to the side before his body dropped.

Hanrocke would release his axe and jump back, the Lord's next attack cutting through his armor and piercing his skin, but no fatal damage was made by him. But as his feet touched the ground, he looked up to see the Lord right in front of him, not even able to react as his axe was impaled through him. Due to the width of his weapon's end, the impalement cut his waist in half completely Hanrocke unable to even understand his situation before his head was cut off right after.

When the Lord finished his attack, he'd step back and let Hanrocke fall into three pieces, gripping Felrick's sword and ripping it out as black blood fell to the ground. As it did, the soil and grass visibly blackened, as if the life from it was drained and ripped away.

"I-I-It isn't possible." Reseria said as she stared in horror at the Lord, watching as his wounds closed up completely, as if they were never even there. "The only one left is the freak from the Abyssal family, you… you… you can't be…"

"Real?" The Silver Knight fell back in fear as the Lord appeared right in front of her, his eyes appearing deranged as she looked to them. "Oh you foolish Lord, just because I vanished, doesn't mean I'm simply dead. It's rather unoriginal, don't you think?" Despite the appearance of his eyes, the Lord spoke with perfect focus, completely in control of himself as he used the tip of his sword to push Reseria's helmet off.

"B-But it… you're not… how are you still in control?" Reseria questioned, her fear growing as the Lord knelt down next to her.

"Because when I stared, and it stared back, I didn't shield my eyes in fear." He explained, reaching with his free hand to take his helmet off, revealing his pale face and scarred face to the Silver Knight, showing his tranquil smile. "I embraced it, seeing it for what the Abyss really is. An solution to a problem that plagues this world."

"A-An Abysswalker like you cannot defeat the Savage! Not if Lord Gwyn and Lady Gwyndolin themselves cou-!" Before she could finish, Reseria would feel a blistering pain through her chest, looking down to see the Lord's hand reach right through her.

"I'm not talking about the Savage, if they destroy this world then that is to happen." The Lord said, unconcerned as the woman coughed blood onto his arm. "This world has been under a ruthless sickness for thousands of years, a sickness that refuses to let the next age come and fix their mistakes." The Lord then removed his arm from Reseria's chest, using the same hand to hold onto her chin and keep her gaze up at him. "I will purge the sickness caused by the Lords, everything about them will be wiped out. The Abysswalkers were the creation of Lords, and we will be your destruction."

"W-Who… are you…?"

"A dying wish? How unusual for a Lord." The man chuckled, the glow of his eyes going away but the color remaining red. "I have had many names, but the one I go by now is my preferred one." His eyes then widened as he brought his sword up and impaled it through her throat, his dark mist coating the blade as her blood splattered onto the dirt.

"My name is Alonne. A former knight and an Abysswalker from Drangleic." Removing his blade from her throat, Alonne would stand back up and look in the distance, his red glow returning as his mist completely encumbered his body. "Three other Lords and the two hybrids are still in these woods, let us see where the darkness takes us." Alonne would then begin to walk away, leaving the bloodied remains of the Silver Knights behind, treating them as little more than dirt, their lives forfeited when they engaged him.

* * *

 **(A/N): Well, the pieces are slowly falling into place here. Just another chapter or so I'd say before the real action begins. But I can't stress enough that I'll be excited to get the fighting started, since this arc as well as the next are the current ones I've thought about the battles for awhile. But I don't want this note to be too long, as I can't think of too much to speak about aside from the reveal at the end, but I don't want to spoil much on that. But I can say that him being an Abysswalker was a plan I had since I decided to have there be three, the third already decided and waiting to be revealed for later.**

 **Not much else to say currently, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one. Peace!**


	22. Ambushes

"Here, this should be far away enough." Juron stated, stopping after a lengthy amount of time straight walking with Matthew. "Now we can talk without the worry of any risk of prying ears from listening in."

"I'm surprised you're concerned at all about being caught, could've sworn you could kill those three without much of any effort." Matthew commented, watching as a faint fluorescent green glow surrounded Juron's armor. "Or is the Great Dragon Slayer Oristin's age finally catching up?"

"Hehe, maybe a little." With his identity exposed, the Lord felt no need to keep his illusion going, his armor shifting and bending while his body grew more in size. Once he stood at his true eight feet and his armor shifted into the grey lion armor, he would reach up and take his helmet off, revealing a near identical face to Ornstein aside from the grayed-out hair, grown beard, aged details and the dozen scars that tattered his face. The most pressing scar went over his right eye, the afflicted part having a contrasting green compared to his natural eye's brown.

"Illusions never were my strength to begin with, but luckily it was still good enough to fool the self-proclaimed Lords. And I'm certain your skills make the likes of theirs pale in comparison."

"Cut the flattery, why are you here?" Matthew spoke, stomping a foot down as lightning cracked around his body. "You abandoned Lordran and were nearing 400, even if Lordran's forces couldn't find track your location you should have died by now."

"You're also missing being sent on a suicide mission by our illustrious "Gods" since I was reaching my life's end." Oristin argued, holding a finger up as he regarded Matthew. "And you're right, by most means I should have died at least two decades ago. But during my suicide mission I happened upon a little discovery."

"And that would be?"

"Well before I say that, I should at least explain how I happened upon it." The Lord chuckled, scratching his beard as he thought back. "I was sent to an old ruin of a fallen kingdom, around two dozen Savage were there and Gwyn feared the chances of the Abyss taking over them. Although he failed to allow Artorias to aid me in dealing with the Abyss if it were present. Although as a Dragon Slayer I had a duty to uphold, and I went on the clear suicide mission for a wearing old man."

"I managed to kill all of them, although in the final Trenta's dying breath it hit me with a full powered blast. By then I was all but sentenced to death, covered in my own blood while I passed out. But miraculously, I had managed to wake up. No Divine Blessing, no Effigy, but something else managed to bring me back from the brink. Something that I fell into."

"Savage fluid." Matthew muttered, looking at Oristin's new eye in realization before reaching for his collar.

"Yes, apparently the Trenta's blast did a one in a million shot and knocked me into a growing puddle of the deceased Savages' fluids. I became what you would call a Variant, with most of my wounds healing due to the amount of raw fluid that went inside me. Although, I will admit I wasn't certain of what happened initially." The Lord then rubbed the scar over his eye, his normal eye's iris turning golden as his energy slowly pooled up.

"I was confused, the Savage gouged out my eye but suddenly it returned, not the mention the fact I was still breathing. I knew I had a duty to return to Anor Londo, but I felt I could not trust myself, believing I was afflicted with a curse similar to the Abysswalkers."

"I couldn't risk that, for my son's sake I was not able to return." Oristin then looked to see Matthew, the hybrid, holding his Hundred as he seemed ready for a fight, albeit with a subtle shake to his arms. "You needn't worry Matthew, I have no intent in hurting you. I wished to talk to you, a fight is the last thing I desire."

"You are in His forces, with the Variant Virus in your blood, and you expect me to believe that?" Matthew questioned, narrowing his eyes as he attempted to keep his shaking in check. "After what He did, to my father, your flesh and blood, how can you be a part of that?"

"Because he showed me the light." Oristin admitted. "When I was infected, I began to hear things. A deafening ring piercing the back of my head like needles, murmurs that I couldn't put words to, sounds I didn't know existed. These filled my mind while the heat in me grew, it drove me mad because I couldn't escape them. And that's when He found me. The Forgotten Sun. The Nameless King."

"He came to me, He found me as I was about to lose myself to the virus and showed me the truth behind it all. The Savage, the Lords, the First Flame, all of it. I understood everything by that point, and after what they had done to Ornstein. He offered a way to fix the world, the way it must be."

"So you rallied to the cause like a sheep following a wolf."

"Of course not, at first I rejected the path He wanted to follow. I despise Gwyn with a burning hatred, but as long as my son was a member of the Lords I refused to ever act out against my people. And then, during the Second Arrival… after what happened to your father, I refused to remain silent without cause."

"That was from His actions, and you choose to side with Him?"

"I hate what He did to Ornstein, but the Nameless King showed the true colors of Gwyn and his family that day. After everything he's done, after sacrificing so much for the sake of that damned kingdom that refuses to burn into ash, they toss him away like a broken blade!" Oristin felt his body begin to heat up and placed his hand over his golden eye, feeling it twitch from the pressure before calming himself. "I accepted his goal, not for what he believes in the Savage, but because the Lords of Lordran must fall. Gwyn and the royal family must die, and I with the power I am given I will see to it his goal is accomplished."

"So you'll sacrifice the whole world, everything, just to get back at Lord Gwyn?" Matthew questioned, shaking his head in disappointment. "The Ornisium family is meant to be the most steadfast of Lords, to shake your duty because of a single event, you're no better than an Abysswalker."

"If desiring the downfall of Gwyn is seen as being one, then the Abysswalkers were more free than I realized." Oristin sighed. "How can you still stand by them, even as they ridicule and treat you like filth? You're nothing to them, why fight for their cause?"

"Because I can retain what was taken." Matthew answered, throwing his variable stone to the side as he glared. "Hundred On!" When his Hundred activated, the hybrid would get into his stance, lightning coursing around his body as he did. "I will bring glory back to the name of Ornisium, I will prove that my father's failure will not define our bloodline. And I will not let the likes of you cause the fall of our civilization, the extinction of our people and humanity."

"Failure? What your father did was the best thing to do, the amount of lives he saved and you… I suppose I should have expected this." Oristin said, looking down in pity as he did. "After your father was crippled, you were left to train with other Dragon Slayers. I can only imagine what they had done to you."

"What was necessary to strengthen me." Matthew stated, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he held his trident. "Their abuse strengthened my body and mind, my resolve will not falter, and I will not be bested by a failed old Lord who wishes the genocide of everything on this planet."

"You say that, yet I can see your hands shake." The Lord pointed out, getting a grunt from Matthew. "As I said Matthew, I wish not to fight you, and I don't desire to draw my spear against you. However, the Nameless King has a plan for tonight, using the Akin you have brought and those that are hunting you."

 _'Akin? That's what he calls Variants?'_ Matthew thought, noting the different tittle. _'Then the Hunters are here, and he's planning on using them as well as Artorian and Emilia.'_

"Do you honestly believe I will let you do anything to them?"

"No, but He desires their blood. And He will have it."

"We shall see about that!" Matthew shouted, lunging out at his grandfather with a glow in his eyes. But before he could reach him, a cloaked figure intercepted him and blocked his trident, holding him in place with a greatsword.

"Ato, remember what I said." Oristin stated to the figure, the Lord reminding the new arrival. "Injure him, but do not kill him. The Nameless King wishes to bring him in alive."

Ato grunted in response, pushing Matthew back and forcing the hybrid to slide back from the mud. Getting a glance at the newest person, Matthew saw that Ato surprisingly couldn't be a Lord, as he stood only a little taller than six feet.

 _'A hybrid? No, he doesn't posses the same presence I have. And he cannot be Artorias' child either. So that means he must be human.'_ Matthew concluded staring into Ato's crimson red eyes, seeing them perfectly calm as he stared back. _'What is He doing recruiting a human?'_

Matthew wouldn't have long to dwell on his thoughts as Ato rushed at him, bringing his curved greatsword down for a heavy swing. The hybrid easily blocked the attack, lightning coursing across his body as he pushed Ato back. Swinging his trident, Ato managed to get his own block in before both held their hands out, the hybrid firing a blast of lightning while the human shot a powerful beam of fluorescent green energy.

 _'Direct Savage energy!?'_ Matthew instantly recognized the energy, planting his feet on the ground and charging at Ato, the two both swinging their weapons forward and causing the ground around them to shake, their energy forming into barriers that clashed around them. _'What in the name of Chaos is this?'_ Following their clash, Matthew freed one of his arms and delivered a solid blow to Ato's stomach, the human coughing from the lack of air underneath his bandage wrappings covering most of his face.

Getting his opening, Matthew would focus his magic and energy into his palm, opening his hand to fire a blast of the combined power that sent Ato crashing through several trees. The moment the attack died out Matthew was caught off guard as Ato rushed past him with a trail of his energy, his recover past what he was expecting. The hybrid then felt the greatsword hit his side, eliciting a burst of pain in his body before hitting against a tree, the obstacle nearly splitting in half from the impact and crashing to the ground behind him.

The hybrid would grunt as he stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of his lip as Ato got back into his combative stance. He couldn't deny that from the single hit that the human was anything but weak. The Scorned had taken him in likely due to his strength and energy alone, meaning fighting him would be no less than fighting an age Lord in a fresh body.

 _'Looks like I'll have to step this up.'_ Matthew said as he got to his feet, planting them into the mud as his lightning grew more intense, growing and spreading across his body as he increased his magic. Once his magic built up, Matthew shot out at incredible speed and jabbed his trident out, Ato barely reacting fast enough to deflect the attack, feeling the metal cut through his armor and remove a portion of his side.

Matthew then spun and swung his trident to the human's opposite side, their proximity allowing Ato to block this one more effectively. However the moment their weapons connected, Matthew instantly sped up and appeared behind Ato, trident already in mid swing as Ato was reeling from blocking the last attack. He attempted to bring his blade behind him, but Matthew's attack came too quickly and slashed across his back, lightning lingering in the wound before it exploded, sending the human spiraling across the field into a stray rock.

Continuing with the momentum, Matthew shot out and approached Ato as he was in the midst of getting up, kicking him in the chest with enough force to shatter a man's skull. The human could be heard grunting in pain, a blast of lightning following shortly after the kick that sent him through the rock, turning the hardened stone to shards as he crashed further back. When Matthew landed, he held his trident with both hands and aimed the end at Ato, lightning and energy charging at the tips before spreading across the entire weapon.

 _'Savage energy, incredible endurance, and surprising reaction timing.'_ Matthew noted as his energy and lightning built up, sparks of lightning digging into the dirt as he further charged his attack. _'If he has a chance to escape, he could develop into a threat to me in Full-Body Armament, maybe even Claire if he's barely developed in combat.'_

Seeing the human begin to get up, Matthew would grit his teeth before holding his trident with one hand, raising it over his shoulder as the power in it grew to twice the size of the trident. "Lordran will not falter, your days end here!" Throwing his trident forward, Matthew would send out a massive spear of both his magic and energy, Ato using his greatsword to help himself stand.

As the human looked up to see the spear, his eyes would widen for a second before narrowing. His eyes would begin to glow before turning bright gold, his pupils turning into slits as his energy suddenly increased. And just as the attack was about to hit him, he'd swing to his side while focusing pure energy into his blade. The two attacks would connect and cause an explosion, sending mud and rocks all over the field.

Matthew used his energy to protect himself from the debris, growling in anger as he saw Ato stand in the middle of the blast with minimal injuries to him. The worst visible was the chunk of armor missing from his right chest piece. He questioned how a single swing could cancel out his spell like that until he saw the human's eyes, and the predatorial glare it had as they shined golden.

 _'He's a Variant as well?'_ Matthew realized, his knuckles cracking as he tightened his hold on his trident. _'Then he's already an even bigger threat than I assumed.'_ Activating his Full-Body Armament, Matthew had unleashed a torrent of lightning and energy, raising his power to his max as he stood across from Ato.

"Gihi." Despite Matthew's drastic rise in power, Ato couldn't help but chuckle, a grin hidden underneath his wrappings. Matthew noted the hoarse sound to his voice but ignored it as he saw Ato's aura explode with power, surrounding his body in a torrent of energy as he stood straight.

 _'His energy's rising rapidly.'_ The hybrid noted, raising his own to surpass Ato's as the human got into a new stance, holding his left arm forward while his right held his sword out to his side. _'His energy's already higher than Emilia's, which means he's the strongest human Variant in these woods.'_

Blinking out of sight, Matthew would surprise Ato with incredible speed, impaling his trident into the human's chest before charging his lightning, firing a blast point blank and following it with a blast of energy to further the damage.

 _'I have to end this now, before he figures out any more tricks.'_

Immediately after Matthew's attack, Ato shot out of the cloud of debris that surrounded him when it exploded, rushing directly at the hybrid. But before he reached him, Matthew flew just over the human and reared his fist back, channeling lightning into his arm before slamming it down on Ato's back, causing dirt and stone to shoot out from the ground.

He then leaned to the side to avoid Ato's slash, the human still active and getting up as Matthew lunged back from his follow up punch. But the moment Ato was to his feet, Matthew returned and struck the human in the gut with his knee, stunning him before kicking out, knocking him back into a boulder that nearly shattered on impact.

Ato was reeling from the impact, grunting as he looked back up to see Matthew, the Lord holding his trident out as energy and lightning charged at the ends. The human then pulled himself out of the stone, nearly stumbling over before correcting himself, blood visible coming from his wrappings as Matthew's hits proved to be effective against him.

 _'Ato's getting pushed more than expected.'_ Oristin noted, simply watching as the human gripped his sword with both hands. _'I suppose that should be expected, Matthew wasn't going to go down easily. And he's smart to use all his power right off the bat. However…'_ Oristin then reached for his armor's belt, grabbing a strange container that when he tightened his hold ejected a hollow blade. _'Ato himself has yet to have his full power unleashed yet.'_

With a roar of power, Ato would summon all of his energy and rush towards Matthew, the hybrid following his movements before firing his attack at the Variant's feet, causing the ground around him to explode and collapse. Ato initially lost his footing and rolled on the ground but collected himself and threw his greatsword right at Matthew.

Despite being surprised by the action, Matthew would swing his trident and knock the sword out of the way. He would wince as he felt the blade cut through his variable suit, leaving a decent cut across his shoulder as it impaled into a tree behind him.

 _'That blade's material was made of Savage armor.'_ Matthew noticed, pressing his hand over his wound and using his lightning to cauterize it. There wasn't much other material that could cut through a variable suit, not as easily as Ato's had done. Which meant there was yet another added risk to letting the two go from this fight.

"Ato." Oristin spoke up, confusing Matthew as he threw the container to the human. Ato caught the object easily, looking down to the hollow blade before looking to the Lord. "The next step in your evolution is at hand, accept it and your power will grow for as long as the injection lasts."

"Injection?"

As Matthew vocalized his confusion, Ato looked back down to the container with hesitation. His eyes showed a moment of confliction, almost as if he was cautious if even doubtful of accepting the supposed injection.

"Do you want him to get away with what he's done?" The Lord added on, noting Ato's hesitance. "The betrayal, the abandonment? You were left to die, it was by chance that you survived long enough to be rescued by our liege. Now you must make the decision in order to take the necessary steps to avenge your fate. Embrace the Exalted fully and realize your potential."

"Em…brace…" Ato managed to choke out, the hoarse in his voice more apparent as he looked down to the container, seeing the traces of Savage fluid coming from the blade. His eyes then slowly widened, the gold glow contrasted to the bloodshot in his vision as he grinded his teeth underneath the wrappings. "…Vengeance…"

"Yes, you can have all that. And with the Exalted, you can reclaim what you lost. Everything."

"…Reclaim… Embrace!" With his eyes glowing in rage, Ato would impale the blade into his chest, surprising Matthew as he saw the human's blood shoot out from the injury. But as it did, Savage fluid began to flood into his body, his energy growing more powerful as each drop entered his heart. Eventually his eyes began to show signs of changing, the gold being canceled out as Ato ripped the blade out, dropping the injector as he closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry Matthew, but this will be your loss." Oristin stated. "Ato's will alone exceeds any that have come before, even the Nameless King recognizes it as a near equal. And even if the fluid will only last a few minutes, it's all he'll need."

Ato's eyes then opened again, his eyes turning bright green to match his energy, his pupil bending and shifting to a V. And not only that, his energy alone had grown to an incredible degree, the volume making it impossible for him to contain and leaving a constant aura around him.

 _'Great, and now something new.'_ Matthew thought as he got into his stance, seeing Ato take a step towards him.

"Must… win…" Ato would mutter out, his eyes shaking with fury as he stared at the hybrid. "…for… her… ren…"

"It doesn't matter who you're fighting for, unless you can handle that power you won't win." Matthew stated, his lightning and energy exploding around him as he stared the human down. "And I refuse to go down to a mindless beast."

"You'll… ALL FALL!" Ato would proclaim with fury, lunging off the ground to attack Matthew, the hybrid narrowing his eyes as he readied himself.

* * *

"Oi, you're lagging behind." Artorian would say, turning back to Claire as she looked off in the distance. "I get we're on a mini-date, but we are also looking for Savage. Should save the sight seeing for after we can kill it."

"It's not that!" Claire would respond, flustered for a second before turning to follow. "I thought I was feeling Matthew's energy going off. But it's too far off from his campsite that it must have been someone else."

"Well, try and think on the here and now. I need you focused incase this thing's bigger than the average four meters." Artorian said, scoping the surrounding terrain as he did. "I'd rather not waste too much time and energy hunting here, and if it's bigger having you take it down would save us a lot of trouble."

"You would tell me if it was Matthew, right?"

"My sensory skill is boiled more down to presence rather than energy, so he'd have to be close for me to do that." Artorian admitted. "But yes, I would. Wouldn't want Bolts for Brains to get axed off on us." Coming to a set of bushes, Artorian would move forward and keep the jagged branches protruding out at bay, giving Claire free access in before following.

"Think Claudia's tried to ruin my reputation with Emile yet?"

"You assume she waited?" The blonde would say back, getting a humorous snort from the Lord.

"Fair enough. But on that note, how the hell did she manage to get assigned to our team? You and I both know that can't be a coincidence."

"I'm uncertain, but I plan on figuring that out once we're back at Little Garden." Claire stated, her gaze hardening for a second as she thought of the clear breach in security. "I'll have more than a few words with Gudenberg's King and Prime Minister. Such an attempt is in clear violation of several regulations."

"Oh, Ms. President's determined on a mission. Hot."

"Can you please stay focused? We're supposed to be looking for a… Savage…" Claire would begin to say, the words dying in her throat as she and Artorian passed the latest set of foliage. "What in the…"

"Shit."

In the center of the field they approached, was two Savage corpses lying close to one another. Both were average Savage types, no bigger than five meters and the same average armor. But the feature that stood out was the massive holes that were across both Savage's fallen corpses. It appeared as if someone impaled them over a dozen times with a lance each, digging deep and having gone through the armor and cores like warm butter.

"This damage, what could have done this?" Claire would question, the two approaching the corpses cautiously, both activating their Hundreds before reaching them. "These holes are, I don't know what to make of them."

"Glory holes?"

"Artorian…"

"What? Savage reproduce, I'm just throwing out an option." Artorian stated, holding his hands in mock defeat when the president looked back to him with an annoyed stare.

"Care for an actual attempt at analysis?"

"Something that really doesn't like Savage." He'd say, stepping next to her and looking at one of the holes. "I'd say they stabbed a lot, but these Savage are close together, likely a patrol like we've been running in to. So I can't imagine they could get their pent up anger out unless they're really fast."

"Perhaps a dragoon Hundred?" Claire guessed. "My Alystherion could do this much damage if I had enough time to charge it."

"Not possible, the wounds are coned, they go inward to a point. If it was energy it would've-!" Artorian would stop in the midst of his observation as he and Claire saw a droplet of the fluid fall from the top of one of the wounds, putting them on guard as they watched the wound continue to bleed.

"Claire?"

"Yes?"

"This wound's fresh."

"Which mean's whatever killed them might not have gotten too far away."

"Or waiting after setting up some bait."

The two Slayers would then quickly jump back from the Savage corpses, landing closer to the center of the field with their backs together and their weapons at the ready, their eyes trailing across the perimeter with sharp focus. Both calmed their breaths, but remained alert as they slowly took steps around each other, attempting to see if the other was missing something in their blind spots.

"What could even know we're looking for Savage?"

"Predators are rather perceptive, centuries of survival do that to species if they aren't domesticated." Artorian noted, wielding a sword in each hand. "Likely saw we were hunting them too, and since Savage aren't edible, we're the next best thing."

"What kind of animal can bite into Savage plating!?"

"I can name a few, Great Wolves are a start."

"I would prefer if you didn't use mythical creatures while in the middle of a potential ambush."

"You're kidding right? Armored space crabs attack and wolves that are a couple meters big is "mythical" and not a viable option? What else could make those wounds?"

"I don't know, I just… cryptids are fairy tales that people tell to scare kids into going to bed at night. Not foreboding warnings that represent actual creatures that-"

"Three o'clock, coming in fast!" Artorian shouted, his eyes narrowing as he caught movement coming right at them from his right, getting into a defensive stance while Claire turned with her pods aiming at the position.

What shot out was a pack of wolves, eight in total as they ran out into the open. The two saw that the animals were crazed, their eyes glowing red as green and black metal plating protruded from under their skin, Savage fluid dropping from their mouths as they circled the Slayers.

"Mutants, likely scavengers that found the corpses a bit before us." Artorian noted, keeping his swords at the ready as he focused on the lead wolf. The mutants were a result of the wolves drinking the Savage fluid, the normal result of wildlife if the viruses didn't immediately kill them.

"There's eight total, if we time it right we can wipe them all out in a single move." Claire stated, her pods circling and keeping targets on six of the mutants while Artorian followed the last two. "Any idea on the alpha?"

"Lead wolf, keeping my eyes right on 'em." He answered. "Best guess, meaning your energy won't work on him."

"Then I leave it and the one next to it to you." Claire nodded, the two preparing themselves as the mutants stopped, growling as they stared at the Slayers with hunger in their eyes. The surrounding was completely silent, the only sounds heard being the Slayers' breathing and the hungered growls of the beasts.

The hybrid would shift his lead foot back, balancing himself as he glared at the suspected alpha, knowing that if it was the right one the N-barrier would cancel out Claire's attack enough to allow it to get close.

"Now!" Claire shouted as the mutants lunged out, firing her pods and obliterating the six that came close. Artorian then pushed forward and swung his blades, aiming to cleave the beasts right down the middle. Seeing the lead wolf come from his left, he was sure to put more strength into that swing, his eyes widening in realization as both swords cut right through the mutants.

"There's more!" He announced, the Claire turning and firing a canon as several more of the mutants lunged out from the foliage, revealing half a dozen more than expected.

"They used the Savage as their own trap!" The blonde realized as she destroyed three of the Savage, ducking under a lunging one that Artorian cut apart and kicking into the next, crushing its ribcage and sending it crashing back.

The Slayer had thrown a punch at the final one, but recoiled in pain as a barrier appeared around it, signaling to the Slayer that it was the alpha. Falling back, Claire would keep her hands on the mutant's neck, preventing it from biting at her but unable to get it off as it flailed at her wildly. As it was about to attempt a bite at her neck, both of Artorian's swords collided against the barrier breaking it as the hybrid released the weapons and tackled it off her instead of waiting to recover from his recoil.

With his strength aiding him, Artorian was able to get on top of the mutant and press his right hand at its throat, pushing down hard as the rest of his body remained on top to hold it down. After a few seconds of fighting the struggling, the hybrid eventually got the opening he needed and shoved his hand down hard while clenching his fingers, breaking the mutant's neck and killing it.

"Are you alright?" Claire would ask, getting up from the ground as Artorian chuckled.

"I think I'm supposed to ask you that, it was looking ready to chomp on that pretty face of yours." Artorian chuckled before his eyes widened, Claire only realizing he was watching the mutant she kicked lunge at her with blood and Savage fluid in its mouth.

Artorian was about to lunge forward as he released the mutant in his grasp, but as he did a surprising force hit Claire from the side and knocked her into him, the two falling back to the ground as a surprised yelp from the mutant was soon muted by a loud crunch.

The moment they fell, Artorian flipped the two over in order to provide cover for Claire, looking up in synch with the blonde to see the latest addition to their skirmish. One that shocked the girl at the mere presence of it.

A massive wolf with grey fur was biting down hard on the mutant, the new beast easily holding the entire mutant in its mouth as it tightened its jaw around it. The mutant could only let out one last whimper before the giant wolf locked its jaw, splitting it in half before spitting out was left in its mouth.

"Fuck, it actually was a Great Wolf." Artorian muttered, the hybrid slowly getting off of Claire as the wolf appeared to be trying to get the Savage fluid off its tongue.

"But that shouldn't… they're real?"

"Claire, what ever you do, don't shoot it." Artorian said, slowly moving to his sword as he did. "Unless you use your Buster Canon, you're just going to piss it off. And I wouldn't want something without the Savage's weakness of having a core come at us at high speed."

"And what are you going to do with your…" Claire then stopped as the Great Wolf turned to Artorian, snarling as it saw him moving for his weapon. "Artorian move!"

"Shit!" The hybrid would attempt to lunge for his father's sword, but was stopped as the wolf slammed its head right into him, sending him skidding through the mud before stopping on his back. "Okay… that isn't good." He'd groan as he pushed himself off his back, only to get laid back down as the wolf planted its right paw down on his chest, forcing him down as it snarled at him.

"Ah, shit." He said as the wolf lowered its snout to just over him, appearing ready to take a bite before sniffing him. When it did, Artorian paused as he felt the pressure on him slightly lessen, looking up to the beast's eyes to see it surprisingly soften more. When Claire was finally up with her Buster Canon out, she and the hybrid were caught off guard as the Great Wolf stepped off of him, its nose still sniffing him out as if it recognized his scent.

The hostility from the beast then ceased entirely, the massive wolf howling into the night before turning away. As it ran off, Artorian instinctively held his hand out to it for it to stay. Only for him to be ignored as the wolf ran without looking back.

"What… was that?" Claire would ask, her Hundred deactivating as she leaned down and helped Artorian up.

"I got nothing, déjà vu I think?" He responded, unable to put words into what happened. The mutant attack was one thing, but for a Great Wolf to be in these woods and set up an ambush for potentially the mutants the Savage corpses made but then even ran off after taking in Artorian's scent.

…

"I… think we should move on."

"Yeah, right behind your muddy ass Boss-in-Blonde."

"Don't look."

"No."

* * *

"Ugh, I can't sleep!" Emilia complained as she got out of the tent. "Everything's too quiet! Prez, it's no problem if I… stay up?" The white haired girl would slowly realize that Claire was missing along with Artorian. "Huh, where'd they go?"

"Psst, Lady Emilia!" However, among the team the one not missing was Claudia, who was waving to Emilia with both arms as she spoke in a hushed voice. "Over here!"

 _'Kinda wish I could just go back to sleep…'_ Emilia would groan, however couldn't find it in herself to rest again, walking out and sitting on one of the rocks across from Claudia around the campfire.

"Lady Emilia, while I'm happy to see you up, shouldn't you be getting some sleep?" Claudia would ask, looking to the princess in concern. "If you don't get enough sleep, you won't be able to operate at peak performance, and then Artorian would have to take over your role as attacker!"

"That isn't exactly a bad thing, and I'm fine." Emilia stated, rolling her eyes at Claudia's insinuation. "Speaking of, where is Artorian and Prez, did they hear something?"

"No, quite the contrary everything was perfectly fine when they left." Claudia answered, lying easily as she did. "In fact, I recall them saying something about going on a romantic stroll through the woods to the lake. And some other things that I dare not say to your innocent ears!" The Slayer was sure to act dramatic as she did, feeling it would best feel accurate and truthful as she did.

"Uh-huh." Emilia muttered, giving Claudia a measuring gaze as she did. "Is that so?"

"Of course! Such depravity from Artorian was expected, but for him to attempt such a thing on Claire Harvey in the middle of a mission! It's such disgrace, so abhorred, and utterly crude! And even after everything you said about him and the feelings you had towards him no less! It's a tragedy at its finest! It's obvious that he feels nothing towards the compassion you showed him, and you should come back to Gudenberg after such an act of betrayal from not only him, but the commander of Little Garden as well!"

"Right, Prez and Artorian going on a date? In the middle of a Savage filled woods? When we were all still sleeping and they just happen to trust you alone to watch?"

"…Yes?"

"Not buying it."

"But it's true! Artorian's just a depriving no good two-timer that's only interested in you for your body! He doesn't care about the real you, he's too stubborn to even call you by your beautiful and true name Lady Emilia!"

I specifically told Artorian to call me Emile! And not only that, but me and him have more interest in each other than just physical intimacy!" Emilia would respond, shattering Claudia's plan immediately. "You don't know anything about him Claudia, saying things like that is disgusting, and I honestly thought even you were better than that."

"B-B-But he, you shouldn't be wasting your talents at a place lead by a relative to the head of Warslran!"

"I'm not wasting my talents there, I'm growing even stronger and developing more at Little Garden with Artorian." Emilia argued. "Not only that, but I've managed to make friends with Charlotte, Karen, even Prez and most of the Slayers onboard. They're determined and helpful, more than what I can say about the Slayers of Britannia."

"But Lady Emilia-!"

"I'm not going back to Gudenberg Claudia, and that's final."

"What is so good about him that you would just leave everything behind!?" Claudia would question. "You had a life of wealth, you were admired by e very Slayer and could be a leader among your people. You could do anything, why throw that away for a nobody like him!?"

"Because that nobody gave me the chance to see things differently." Emilia answered. "Up until I met him, I believed everything was set in stone, that my life was determined once my mother died and dad brought me in to the family. But then the Second Attack happened and he… he showed me something I never expected. I didn't understand it at the time, but after my dad told me what he… what is dad…"

Emilia would then become hesitant, uncertain of what to say and almost cautious of what she would say next. The caution initially came as pure uncertainty on her feelings to Artorian, but Claudia's thoughts wouldn't even start as Emilia turned her gaze to the fire, her eyes turning somber as she did.

"I trust Artorian completely, I know that if there's anyone who will have my back it's him. Not only that… deep down I know his relationship with Prez, Miharu and even Sakura may be more than friends. And I… I just hope I can get to that last stage before them."

"Lady Emilia, you're not saying what I think you are! That's disgraceful, if you think he would forsake your loyalty to be with other women how could you-!?"

"There's a lot you don't know about him, and I still don't understand everything there is to know about him either." Emilia admitted. "There's… an uncertainty behind him that pushes him, a source of fear that doesn't stop him, but pushes him forward. He knows it's there, and despite it he decides to instead of faltering to grow stronger and fight. It… it should force him into a certain way of life. But he took that and threw it aside, deciding his own fate instead. I look up to that, it changed how I viewed myself and the fake life I had been living."

"Lady Emilia…"

"Try to bring me to Gudenberg all you want, I'm not going to leave him." Emilia said with conviction, looking back up to Claudia as she did. "He's had my back, and I'll always have his. I trust him more than anyone in this world, and I'll be damned if I let you or anyone else drag me away from him."

"B-But I… your family…" Unable to figure what to say Claudia simply hung her head in disappointment, trying to figure out exactly how Artorian could possibly get her Lady Emilia to remain with such conviction.

 _'It… it just isn't fair… why him?'_

* * *

"Water looks about right." Artorian noted, looking in his small container as he tested the water in the lake. There was no visible change when several chemicals were introduced, meaning it was safe for to enter or even drink if they were desperate enough.

"That's good, we should be able to clean ourselves up and return back to camp within a few minutes as long as we properly time ourselves." Claire would note. Both her and the hybrid were covered in mud, the latter more so from rolling in it to get the mutant off of her. However the president was far from clean herself, most of the back of her variable suit covered completely in mud.

"You can go first, I'll stand watch and make sure your suit dries off after it gets cleaned." Artorian said, electing to wait while gathering branches and discarded leaves.

"Thank you, I'll try not to take up too much time. I'm sure you'd want to get yourself cleaned as well." Claire said, turning away from Artorian as he lit a small bonfire. She would then reach behind her, the sound of her unzipping her variable suit getting an annoyed groan from Artorian.

' _Damn it, if we were in Savage infested woods I could just as easily be in there as well.'_ He'd grumble, waiting to hear the splash of Claire enter before turning to her.

"Cold?"

"Not at all, this lake is situated over the pool of magma that runs to the volcano. And with the added sedimentary and nearby foliage, it feels like a hot spring." The blonde informed, getting another disappointed groan from Artorian as she moved in deep enough to sit in the water and keep her naked figure hidden. "Would you?" Claire would speak up, holding out her variable suit to Artorian.

"I said I would, didn't I?" He'd say, rolling his eyes as he walked two steps into the water and took the suit from Claire. As he turned, he'd let his eyes wander for a second and curse Claire for her modesty, the president in deep enough so that not even the top of her breasts was visible.

"Be sure not to soak for too long, wouldn't want to get wrinkles, would you?"

"Try and make it what you want Artorian, I noticed your wandering eye." Claire stated, looking at him with a single eye as he hung her variable suit over the fire to dry.

"Curses, caught red handed."

"As punishment, you're not allowed to look over here while I am still in the water."

"Oh come on, that's just cruel!"

"Commander's orders."

"You're so damn lucky Savage are in these woods, otherwise I'd say to hell with the suit and jump in myself." Artorian grumbled as he sat on a large rock, his back turned to Claire as she enjoyed the lake's water.

Wanting to distract himself, Artorian would attempt to establish a link back to the camp. However as he tapped on his collar, he got no notification for a successful link. He'd press again, this time getting an error buzzer, followed by another when he tried again.

 _'No link?'_

"Having trouble establishing a link?" Claire asked, relaxing back into the water while looking to him.

"Not trouble, it just won't." He answered. "Something must be interfering with the link to prevent communication. You said this lake's over magma, right? Is that affecting it?"

"I wouldn't imagine, but perhaps some of the minerals surrounding are causing interference." Claire guessed, although it was rough and likely inaccurate at best. "If it won't link, don't waste your energy attempting it. It's a shame there's a few clouds right now, I can almost see all the stars again."

"Again with the stars junk, you're a one-track mind huh Claire?"

"I know, it is a little childish to enjoy stargazing as much as I do, but it feels rather enlightening right now." She admitted, looking up to the stars she could see. "Without communication, we're basically cut from the entire mission, it's almost as if we're on our own time. But of course, we're still on duty and have to remain focused."

"Jeez woman, aside from the pool and beach you have been basically all work." The hybrid commented, rolling his shoulders as he rested his sword down next to him. "Ever think of just taking a break? Ya know, recharge your batteries in a more personal way?"

"Honestly? It has crossed my mind. But even if I do, I can't just put it on the front. Both as a Slayer and Little Garden's commander, I have to remain at my best. And for Liza's sake as well." The blonde would say, closing her eyes as her thoughts drifted to her sister. "I can't let myself dwindle, I must stay by Liza's side and protect her. I refuse to let her suffer, and I won't let Judal use her like another pawn in his game."

"Your brother's a real son of a bitch, but crafty if I have to admit anything." Artorian said. "Sorry if your mother was a decent human being."

"You don't need to apologize, she was far from an ideal mother." Claire stated, getting a surprised hum from Artorian at Claire's indifference at her mother being called a bitch.

"…Artorian, how much do you know about my sister?"

"Not much, Judal said something happened that put her comatose and that she's served as Little Garden's power source since. Aside from that, maybe the implication she was a Slayer as well."

"Well, that's rough but close. My little sister was a Slayer like me, but she was far from an ordinary Slayer. In fact… it pains me to say she can't even be considered a normal human."

"Bitch…" Artorian grunted as he hung his head, punching the rock he was on as he put together Judal's parting words to Claire from before.

"Just like you, Emile and Sakura, Liza is a Variant. But unlike you three… she's one by nature. When my sister was just an ovule, my mother injected Savage fluid into the fertilized egg that she removed from her before reintroducing it to her body. That process allowed for a perfectly created Variant… Liza. All of it was in the name of defeating the Gods."

"Fucking Gods damn it…"

"At the time, I had no idea she was going through advanced Slayer training, much less the fact she was a Variant." Claire then opened her eyes somberly, looking to the stars with a distant and sorrowful stare. "It wasn't until we were out on a mission where we ran into a Trenta that I discovered this. We were both young, my skills with a Hundred were minuscule and I had never seen a Savage before. I couldn't win, and in the middle of the skirmish I was pinned under a rock."

"I thought I was done for, but before it could get me Liza… she activated her powers and managed to demolish the Trenta with her armament. She was incredible, the strongest Slayer I had ever seen period, and she wasn't even a teenager at the time. But then… once it was over she coughed out blood and collapsed. She fell into the comatose state she's in now and has yet to regain consciousness, but she still somehow produces so much energy."

"It was my mother who gave her the virus, but I was unable to protect my little sister and now my brother uses her as nothing more than a resource in my family's obsession in the concept of surpassing Gods. I refuse to let that happen, and I will protect her no matter what. She's suffered enough, and I won't let them contribute to it anymore."

"…I understand." Artorian said, getting Claire to look to him as he kept himself turned away, the blonde noticing his slouched posture. "You know I joined Little Garden to help Karen with Severance, I'd guess that isn't much of a secret."

"I had the information, yes. What about it?"

"She contracted the virus strain during the Second Attack, and it entered stage two when she was eight. Every day for her was a battle after, as her body grew weak and frail from Severance draining away at her strength." He then looked to his hand, flinching at the sight of wooden splinters before shaking it off.

"We lost everything after the Second Attack, she lost her parents, her brother, her home, her life. Everything she knew was just… ripped away from her! Her life was destroyed when she was only six, and I was powerless to save everyone! I was, I just couldn't, I could've…!"

"Artorian, you were only a child, you did everything you could."

"But I didn't! When the Savage came crashing down I failed to save the Kisaragis. I panicked and I told for us to run! I didn't look back, I had to protect Karen! I got her to safety, but I left Emilia behind and I ran back! Hayato died trying to help me, he was always trying to help and he just got caught up in everything I did! I got him killed because I screwed up and… and I was too focused on protecting Karen that everything else felt meaningless until it was too late."

Seeing his hand shake, Artorian would tighten it into a fist and attempt to calm himself, letting out a stagnant breath as his eyes glossed over. "Every mistake I made hurt Karen. Whether it was bullies, the Savage, medical procedures that almost happened too late because I didn't know what to do, damn it I was probably the worst thing to happen to her."

"And I realized that I just… I want something to go right for her." He admitted, letting his hand drop as he looked up to the stars. "Little Garden's been the best thing for her period. Her recovery's been incredible, she reunited with her old friend, and she's met so many more people. And to see her smile again, a real genuine smile that wasn't a fake to try and help me… she's my world Claire. I will defend her with my life, nothing is too great an injury, no setback isn't overbearing. I will rip myself to pieces to protect her, nothing will hurt her as long as I'm alive. And if something does… I will raze Hell itself to tear it to bloody ribbons."

"I'm sorry." Claire said, sitting back up in the water as she did. "I know my brother's using her to keep you under control, I can recognize it easily. I wish I could give Karen the necessary care without you having to serve, but even I must admit you're an irreplaceable asset. Not only that, I can't do anything as long as you're under Judal's contract. I'm sorry."

"No don't give me that crap, you're just as caught up in this shit show. You have your sister to worry about, I was just venting my frustration at myself." Artorian argued. "I know the past is the past, and that I can't do anything about it. I just hated the fact that Karen has gone through so much, it isn't fair to her. Just like what happened to Liza isn't fair."

"Look Claire I… I can't go into detail on a lot about me, trust is a difficult thing to figure out and I can't trust you with everything about me yet. Things that can't get out without problems arising after. But right now I ask for a bit of trust to hear a request."

"What is it?"

"I don't know how much time I have left, either the Savage or my condition is going to kill me. Even if the Savage don't, I got probably two years at the most on me. After that, I won't be able to watch after Karen, and she'll have officially lost everything linking her to her past life. I know it's a lot to ask but… when that day comes could you watch after her?"

"You want me to watch after her? Wouldn't you prefer if Crossfode or Kirishima did, since they get along with her better?"

"Yes but they aren't you. Neither know the first thing on looking after someone when there's a risk like Judal on their back." Artorian stated. "I'm not asking you to drop everything and watch over her like a hawk. Just… make sure her procedures finish and she can have her life back? You know, one last favor to the guy who's nothing but a headache?"

"Hmph, you make it sound like you're just that." Claire couldn't help but give a small laugh, looking down to the water as she thought of his request. "Not only that, but you think so little of me as to believe I'd let my comrades fall in battle before me. I will not allow you to die, because you are my responsibility and a trusted ally. Not only that, but…"

"Hmmm?"

"J-Just don't go trying to throw your life to the wind." Claire stuttered. "I have to ask in return, that if I died first, would you be willing to protect Liza? I have seen dozens of Slayers in action, and while you might not be the best currently, you possess something far too few can claim to have."

"And that would be?"

"An unstoppable will. I don't know your full story, and I won't pry into it to question why this request of yours came, but I know that whatever it is had shaped you into who you are today. And if you continue to grow from that, from a child who saved two others in the middle of a slaughter like the Second Attack in Yamato, to a Slayer taking the fight to the same threat, there's no one I would feel more confident to take my place as both Liza's protector and commander of Little Garden."

"Sounds like a lot of paperwork, I'd leave the commander part to Erica." Artorian chuckled, sighing as he looked over his shoulder to her. "But I will accept the duty to protect Liza, I'll fight tooth and nail for her. And for you as well." He then smiled, turning his eyes back to the cloudy sky as he did. "You aren't dying Claire, I'll beat your sorry corpse back to life if need be. You got too many people to live for."

"As do you, it would… I admit I would be sad if you died so soon." Claire said, her cheeks dusted red at her words.

"Eh, I'd give you a single good tear." He'd jest, grinning as he did. "But I know you won't die before me, you're the second strongest person I ever met."

"Only second? Guess I have some work to do."

"Good luck with that, my dad was a real monster. But I'm rooting for you regardless."

The two would then share a moment of silence, feeling a small burden freed from their shoulders. To an extent, they had their goals confirmed to be possible even after their passing, entrusting each other in protecting those they hold closest. And while it may not be the most stable relationship, the two feel confident in the aid the other can bring in the coming days.

"…Artorian?" Claire would speak up, turning around to fully face the hybrid as he remained on his rock.

"Yeah Claire?"

"Thank you. For saving me from the Trenta and mutants." The Slayer stated, confusing Artorian as he raised an eyebrow. "I hadn't given the proper thanks for what you had done, you put yourself at risk for my well being and I feel I should rectify my earlier mistakes."

"Can't let Liza wake up without her big sis, can I?"

"I owe you for it, so don't go dying yet. Commander's orders."

"You got it Boss-in-Blonde." Artorian would say, feeling a distinct ring in his head, followed by a strange heat in him. "Hey, you didn't activate any energy just now, did you?"

"No, why?"

"I don't know, I just got a strange feeling just now." He said, rubbing his chest as he felt the heat vanish for a second. "Weird, now it's-!" His eyes then snapped open at the sudden sensation of energy, his aura bursting to life for a second and surprising both him and Claire.

"Artorian! Is something wrong!?"

"Liddy's team is getting ambushed." The hybrid said, standing up to his feet instantly.

"They're under attack? Are you absolutely sure?"

"Positive, call it fact because it's what is happening." He then kicked his foot down, flipping his sword up and catching it. "It's the Hunters from before. Claire, head back and get the others. I'm going after them."

"I can't let you go off on your own. You don't have the strength or experience to fight the Hunters, and without a signal or flare you won't be able to find them quick enough." Claire argued, standing up from the water and going for her variable suit. "I can handle the three of them, I know I can. You need to head to the camp and-"

"Not when there's rain you can't." Artorian stated, grabbing her arm and stopping her, surprising her with his sudden movement as he was next to her before she got out of the lake. "Claire, you and I both know there's a chance of rain, and if it does you're dead in the water. I got this."

"You barely managed to handle them your first encounter, and if they're Variants I don't know how long you, Liddy or the rest of her team will be able to hold out."

"We'll hold out, trust me." The hybrid said, letting her go as he looked to his right towards the woods. "I already know where they are, and if anyone can be stubborn enough to hold long enough its us. So get your ass to Emile and Erica and bring the cavalry."

"How are you even going to find them? We don't know their location."

"Heh, call it an Abyssal's instincts." He grinned, winking to the girl as he did. "I'll find Liddy and back her team up. You don't have to worry about me."

"…Be careful. We don't know what these Artificial Variants will do when they're backed into a corner. Or if they have more tricks up their sleeves than what you saw before." Claire relented, although reluctantly as Artorian was determined to be the one to go.

"A knight follows his queen's orders, so I'll take that as such." He said, giving a smirk before taking Claire's hand and kissing it, embarrassing her with the action before he turned and ran off. "A place hold for when I get back! My vow top come back and turn that kiss into one on your lips! So don't keep me waiting Perfect Queen!"

"You…!" Claire would start, her cheeks red as she stopped and looked to her hand, clasping it into a fist as she watched him run off. "Wait for me, Wolf Knight."

"Hang on Liddy, I'll be there as quick as I can." Artorian said, his eyes narrowed as he activated his Hundred and maneuvered through the foliage the best he could with his max speed. "Looks like I'll have to give a little leg room for it."

At his words, the hybrid's left eye would blink red, the crimson going away as he stopped and changed direction, using Liddy's link as his Vessel to track the Slayer. "That was your energy activating that I felt, I know it. You're strong, so I know you'll handle yourself. But the others aren't, so please…" His eyes would both then flash red for a second as he saw through Liddy's eyes, witnessing two of the Slayer's team already down from the Hunter's ambush immediately going in.

"Let me make it in time!"

* * *

 **(A/N): Holy crap I finally got this out! I'm partially disappointed, not entirely at the chapter, but for how long it took for me to get it out. I didn't entirely want to, but I wanted to take a small hiatus for Christmas and New Years, enjoy being with my family and relax a bit to get my think cap working again. And after beating Sekiro and getting on track for Bloodborne I feel a decent wave of inspiration for both this and other stories.**

 **I'm also feeling excited for the next chapter, as the heaviest set of combat is heading on its way. Matthew's was fun to write now but the real fights are going to kick in, along with the enjoyment of further detailing all the threats on the way and that are present. So this will be a fun couple writing sessions for me, as I work to make this fight as good as I can.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed your holidays and enjoyed the chapter. I'll see you in the next one when the action really kicks in! Peace!**


	23. Sympathy

"What's the matter short stack!?" Nakri would shout as she blocked an attack from Reitia, her grin wide as she regarded the Slayer. "This really all you got?"

"Shut up you shark faced loud mouth!" Reitia shouted in return, bringing her leg up for an energy enhanced kick. However the Hunter had easily blocked with one of her disks, knocking her leg back down and stunning the Slayer before slamming the ends of her weapons into Reitia's chest.

The Slayer coughed out at the impact she suffered, unable to react in time for Nakri's own kick to her head, sending her skidding across the ground on her back. She'd attempt to push herself up, but as she felt her energy diminish her Hundred would vanish, the variable falling to the ground as Reitia passed out from her injuries.

"Reitia…" Jackson groaned as he held a hand on his shoulder, an open wound he suffered from the initial attack of the Hunters. He was against a nearby tree, covered in brushes and scratches after Nesat's final attack against him. When his variable stone fell, the Hunter had quickly caught it, knocking him away as to prevent any further retaliation from him.

Both Wendy and Aly were knocked out right away, the victims of the Hunter's ambush. And with both him and Reitia down, that left Liddy as the sole active Slayer in the fight.

 _'The whole team's already down.'_ Liddy winced as she blocked an attack from Krovanh, stepping past him and swinging with her lance at his body. The Hunter grinned excitedly as she attacked, knocking the weapon's tip to the side as he lunged at her.

Both their foreheads collided, a shockwave of pressure going off as Liddy returned the attack with equal vigor. Their energy would slowly begin to build up as they pushed against each other, vibrant green and violet clashing as the ground began to crack around them. All the while, Krovanh's eyes would widen, an insane glint in them as his eyes slowly turned golden.

"You've been really something, fighting as well as you are. But a Slayer dog like you can't match against us!" Krovanh said as his aura doubled in size, overwhelming Liddy's energy and pushing forward, flipping over her as he gripped his Hundred with both hands.

"This is it!" He'd grin, stabbing his lower blade behind him in an attempt to impale the Slayer. But as he did, Liddy moved her body to the side enough to avoid the sword and catch it with her shield. The Hunter looked back in confusion in time for Liddy to rear her leg back, delivering a heavy kick to the side of his head that caused him to skid on his feet across the mud.

Grunting, Krovanh would wipe his thumb across his lip by instinct, no actual blood but the blow being enough to be notable to him.

"Whatever abilities you may possess, do not imagine you will be able to defeat me so easily with a single blow."

"Oh ho, you're going to be fun." Krovanh chuckled as he stood up, his aura returning in full force as he stared at Liddy with excitement in his eyes. Liddy stood at the ready, her shield up as she watched for any movement from the Hunter. When he took a single step, her eyes snapped to the side as he moved at high speed, appearing next to her and swinging his double-bladed greatsword at her.

Sparks flied as she blocked, the Hunter spinning his blade as he struck twice in quick succession. Liddy showed impressive reaction speed, blocking both blows before piercing her lance forward. Krovanh would parry the attack by grinding the weapon across his handle's guard, attempting to open her guard but was stopped as she swung to the side in the midst of her attack. He would get pushed back, planting his feet down as Liddy quickly followed and threw her lance forward.

The Hunter this time was forced to block with the flat end of his Hundred, his feet slipping back in the mud as he remained standing his ground. Liddy's eyes would narrow as she activated the rotation in her lance, sparks flying in every direction as her energy would increase along with her aura. Krovanh's teeth would grind against each other as he pushed back, refusing to give in to Liddy's push even as he was getting pushed back.

"This… is… nothing!" He'd shout, parrying her weapon to the side and bringing his blade around, slamming it against her side and sending her sliding back across the mud.

Liddy would cough out from the impact, the blow hurting but not nearly enough to keep her down. As she was getting up her eyes would meet Krovanh's, the Hunter having closed the gap and attempting to slam his blade down on her. Rolling to the side, Liddy would dodge his attack and kick her leg out, kicking the side of his knee and getting his posture to buckle.

He would retaliate by swinging at her, sending a slash of energy as she dodged back. She would in turn hold her shield out in front of her and summon an E-barrier, blocking the energy and dismissing it as she kept her arm up. Her stare was heated but focused, her adrenaline managing to help her keep up with his movements despite his Variant enhancements.

"Damn Slayer dog, moving quicker than I thought." Krovanh grunted, spitting to the ground as he glared at Liddy. His eyes would then look to his right, Nakri standing at the ready with her disks in hand. A single look to his left saw Nesat give her own nod, a Hundred to Nakri's forming in her hands. He then gave one nod, and then took off to rush right at Liddy.

The Slayer would attempt to bring her shield up, but was interrupted as Nesat threw her disks, knocking it back to her side. As Krovanh got closer she would then go to pierce him with her lance, however that was set off course by Nakri's disks. She was now wide open as Krovanh approached, his eyes wide in rage as he prepped his sword back, energy forming around it as he readied to take the Slayer down.

"This is the end! Slayer dog!" Liddy's eyes were wide in fear as Krovanh swung his blade, the path aiming for her neck as she was left unable to protect herself. However just as the blade was about to connect, a sharp ring went off when something collided against it, forcing Krovanh's arm back to his side as he stumbled a few steps back.

"The hell?" He spoke, looking to see Artorian's sword impaled in front of him. When he realized it wasn't a Hundred, his confusion turned to shock, stomping a foot to the ground as he jumped forward for Liddy. "No damn it!" As he was about to attempt another swing, he was blocked as Artorian landed between him and Liddy in force, blocking Krovanh's Hundred with his own. The impact caused his father's sword to shoot out from the mud, to which he caught with his free hand and slashed it forward, striking his side and knocking him back several meters.

"Hands off brat. The artwork is to be looked at and admired, not touched." He would say, shifting his feet into his stance as he crossed his Hundred horizontally, aiming his father's sword at the Hunter with it over it.

"Artorian?" Liddy would say, surprised to see the Abysswalker appear. "How did you know we were under attack?"

"When they attacked, did your energy spike at the activation of your Hundred?"

"Yes, it normally does. Why?"

"My own energy flared out of nowhere, likely with the link of you being my Vessel to give me a signal." He answered, his eyes narrowing as he looked between the three Hunters that surrounded them. "I knew it had to be the Hunters and sent Claire to go back to camp to get Erica and Emilia. They'll be a few minutes."

"You, you're that bastard." Krovanh growled as he looked at Artorian, flaring his teeth at the Slayer as his eyes were wide in rage.

"Aw, you remember me. I'm touched, truly I am." Artorian said, cracking his neck as he loosened his muscles. "Still with me on this Liddy? Or do you need a breather?"

"Like I'd let you fight a three on one by yourself." Liddy stated, stepping up next to Artorian with her shield at her front, her eyes shifting between Nesat and Krovanh. "How are we handling this?"

"Hit anyone that has green on them."

"…"

"Glowing, green. Fucking hell, literal bitches all of you." Artorian mumbled, Liddy referencing her green hair at the comment. "Just hit anyone shorter than you, that'll be good enough."

"Oh, think you two can fight all three of us at once?" Nakri laughed, her grin wide as her eyes began to glow gold. "Did you forget your last fight with us, Abyssal?" She would drop his name, attempting to get a reaction from him.

"…" Artorian closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply, appearing to attempt to control himself as he did. "Yep." In the next second, Nakri's eyes widened in shock as Artorian lunged at her, bringing his Hundred to strike her in the torso. She was hit by the full force of the blow, sending her crashing into a tree.

"Nakri!" Krovanh shouted as his aura exploded out, lunging for Artorian as his back was turned. Before he could reach however Liddy interrupted, getting between them and blocking with her shield. "Get out of the way Slayer bitch!" He would then push them apart, slashing at her head that she blocked with her lance.

"You bastard!" Nakri shouted, throwing her two disks at him at the same time Nesat jumped over Krovanh and Liddy, throwing her own at his back. Spinning on his heel, Artorian would deflect both sets of disks and send them at the other Hunters, both catching them and rushing right at him. The two would move swiftly as they swung at him, Artorian blocking with a sword on each.

Nesat would start with a twist of her body, combining several sudden hits along with Nakri's heavy blows on the Slayer's left. The Abysswalker would twist his blades in his hands, enhancing his speed with his energy as a means to keep up with the two Hunters. After blocking for four seconds of sudden slashes, he would deflect Nakri's disks down and kick his right leg back, the impact causing Nesat's disks to escape her grasp and go into the air.

Continuing on, he'd flip over Nakri's back and in the same motion kick her side, sending her towards Nesat. Seeing her cousin come at her, Nesat's eyepatch would shift open and reveal her golden eye, the two disks in Nakri's hands vanishing. She would then catch onto her hands and spin, surprising Artorian as she threw Nakri up in the air and towards Liddy, the thrown Hunter catching her original disks as she twisted her body in the air.

"Damn it!" Artorian shouted as he lunged after Nakri, bringing his swords around for a double slash. However he was interrupted as Nesat jumped to intercept him, her right hand creating an energy barrier to block him while her left was held behind her.

"…Hundred On." She'd say, an in that moment a Hundred identical to her brother's formed in her grasp, Artorian's eyes widening in realization as she swung forward.

 _'She can copy Hundreds like Emilia!'_ he'd cross his swords to block Nesat's swing, but with energy infused into the blade her strike managed to break Artorian's guard. However the Lord recovered quickly and swung with his father's sword, blocking the Hunter's next swing as they began to fall to the ground.

As he began to battle with Nesat, Liddy would jump back from Krovanh as Nakri landed, bringing her shield up to block a flurry of attacks from the female Hunter. As the barrage ended, she'd turn to her side to see Krovanh approach, his sword already mid-swing as she did. Reacting the quickest she could, she'd begin the spiral in her lance and block, sparks flying in every direction as she attempted to ward off the Hunters.

However as their auras grew in size, the Hunters would outmatch her strength and break her guard, Krovanh landing a solid punch to her gut while Nakri snapped her leg up for a heavy kick to her head. The combined blows disoriented Liddy, the Slayer left open as Krovanh opened his hand and fired a shockwave of his energy, sending her crashing back into a tree that nearly broke apart at her impact.

Her variable suit took most of the impact off her, however Liddy still coughed a bit of blood out from Krovanh's punch, a small cut on her forehead visible from Nakri's scraping her. Standing back up, Liddy would immediately dodge to the side, Krovanh slashing out at her and obliterating the tree with his energy enhanced attack. She then threw her shield arm to the side, pushing against Nakri's next attack and managing to break her posture.

However as Krovanh would follow with another attack, Liddy would be unable to capitalize on her opening and was forced to retreat back, however landing her own kick on Krovanh's chest to propel herself back.

The Hunter took a step to recollect himself, but quickly lunged forward along with his cousin, the two ready to clash against Liddy as they approached. However a subtle change in their glance told Liddy all she needed to know, the Slayer ducking down and turning to behind her as Artorian flipped over her, using each other's backs to counter balance themselves and bring their shared attacks up. With Artorian's swords colliding with Krovanh and Nakri while Liddy threw her spear forward to match Nesat's swing down, a dual shockwave of their energy would go off, mud and rock going in every direction.

None of the fighters present wished to give any ground, pushing against each other with all their strength in an attempt to gain ground. With their surpluses of energy, the three Hunters and Liddy's auras would clash, Artorian's energy limited to just remain at his legs as he used his lower body to aid in the struggle.

The continued struggle of energy would begin to cause the ground to crack, the dirt shifting under the pressure of the battle. As they fought for control, the Lord would feel a single drop of water hit the back of his head, his eyes widening in realization before he grinned. A second went by went before another drop came, followed by another and another until it suddenly started to pour all around them.

In the small moment the rain began to pour, Krovanh and Nakri's energy would react with the water and flicker, giving Artorian the opening he needed. Transferring his energy to his arms, Artorian would break off the two from him and get his swords between them before swinging outwards in opposite directions, striking their sides and sending them in opposite directions.

He'd then bring his right sword behind him, clashing it against Liddy's spiraling spear and causing a storm of sparks to go off, Nesat closing her eyes to protect herself and giving Liddy an opportunity to deliver a shield bash to the Hunter.

"The rain is going to make projectiles a problem." Liddy stated, hinting toward Claire's offensive capabilities being drastically brought down in this condition.

"Guess it was the right call for me to come after all." Artorian responded, flipping the hilt of his sword a full spin to loosen himself up more as he stared between Krovanh and Nakri.

"Think they'll be here soon?"

"Eh, any minute now would be my guess. I did leave Claire naked by the lake."

"…Do you… wanna rephrase that?"

"Nah, I like that phrasing better."

"That's it…" Krovanh would mutter out, his eyes bloodshot as he glared heatedly at Artorian. "You've hurt my sister and cousin enough, I'm going to rip you to blood ribbons for laying a finger on them."

"That's my line." Artorian said, pointing a sword to Krovanh. "I still have to pay you back for kicking Emile, and for punching my stomach."

"You should be more concerned about leaving here alive!" Krovanh shouted in rage, his aura exploding beyond it's previous limit as the energy in his variable suit went ballistic. His energy was growing more and more rapidly, the feeling alone catching Artorian and Liddy off guard. "Limit Out!" With his scream, a new layer of armor began to form on the Hunter, armor going up his arms until jagged shoulder gear formed as the rest of his legs became covered in armor.

"Shit, Full-Body Armament!" Artorian realized, pushing Liddy to the side as Krovanh shot out in a burst right for them, the Abysswalker just following the movements but unable to protect himself. The Hunter then struck him with the center of his Hundred, the initial impact alone causing Artorian to cough out blood before Krovanh brought his blade in a wide arc and struck the Slayer's side.

The Lord would get sent flying back, recovering as he impaled a sword into the ground and lunged forward, Krovanh quickly approaching and the two swung their weapons, the collision causing their blades to bounce off before Artorian struck out with his father's sword to counter Krovanh's next move. Artorian would then begin to trade blows with Krovanh, each swing he sent was met with another he had to block, the exploding energy from the Hunter enhancing him past what could have been his previous limits.

 _'This is bad, with Full-Body Armament matching him blow for blow is going to turn up short.'_ Artorian thought, feeling his feet slowly drag back from the constant pressure of competing against the Hunter. _'Even artificial, his ability to control his Variant energy's going to have him outlast me. I need to think of something, and now!'_

As Artorian's eyes turned to Krovanh's blade, he'd see the subtlest sign of damage, a mark from when Liddy struck the flat with her lance in rotation. The sight caused him to grin, a fire lighting in his eyes as he knew what his plan was now. Throwing his right arm forward, Artorian's swing would hit against Krovanh's sword, the Hunter blocking it with the center and catching it in the gap between the dual-blades.

"Gotcha!" Krovanh would shout, twisting the Hundred sword out of Artorian's grip and tossing it to the side as he spun his own sword in preparation. "You're as good as dead, dog of Little-BAH!" As Krovanh swung down, Artorian would bring his now free arm forward, knocking Krovanh's sword nearly out of his grasp to break his guard. The next thing he knew, the Lord's fist was buried into his stomach, the variable suit barely taking the punishment as Krovanh coughed out spit from the pain, the air getting knocked right out of his lungs.

Artorian's arm was now bleeding across his forearm past his elbow, but the Lord showed no concern as he brought his father's sword up and slammed the flat of the blade into Krovanh's face. This time the Hunter took the full force and was sent skidding on his back across the field, grunting in pain as he felt his vision shake from the impact.

"Heh, how'd that taste?" Artorian would say, grunting as he gripped his cut, feeling the blood flow down his arm and drip into the mud, the rain causing the red to spread and stain across his skin and glove.

"Bastard!" Artorian's eyes widened as he turned to see Nakri rush him, moving his sword to block but coming up late as Nakri's disks cut across his shoulders, adding a sudden pulse of energy and bringing the blade back lower to cut more of his arms. As Artorian would retaliate with a kick, Nakri would throw her right disk at his face, the Lord barely moving to the side to avoid a serious injury.

However he would wince in pain and step several paces back, a deep cut present on his left cheek from Nakri's disk. He'd then fall to a single knee as the momentary weakness from all his injuries took over, leaving him open as Nakri caught her disk again.

"I won't let you get away with hurting Krovanh!" Nakri screamed, her eyes glowing vibrant as energy began to coat the edges of her disks, enhanced energy blades to the Hundred. As she moved to attack again, Liddy would interrupt by striking the flat end of her left disk, the Slayer sliding in front of her and blocking the Hunter's retaliation.

The two then collided lance and disk several times, sparks and energy going off before they delivered and matched an energy enhanced blow to the other, causing a small explosion that sent the two skidding back. While Krovanh and Nesat both moved and caught Nakri, Liddy would stop herself short of Artorian and get back into a readied stance, her eyes narrowed as she remained steadfast against the Hunters.

"How bad?" Liddy would ask, already aware of Artorian's injuries.

"I'll live, just a few deep cuts." Artorian would say, closing and opening his right arm a few times to regain feeling in it, the limb having felt numb after all the taken attacks. "I just need a minute is all."

"Like you're going to get that!" Nakri shouted, her and Krovanh lunging forward, Nesat transforming her sword into disks again and throwing them ahead, Liddy focusing her energy into her shield to assist with the block. However the pressure was too much, and she was knocked back into Artorian, the impact causing them to slide back until the Lord's back hit the cliffside.

"Their energy just keeps rising, what the hell have they been through to get control like this?" Liddy asked while wincing, moving off of Artorian to get up to a knee. As she did, Krovanh appeared right in front of her, his sword held up as he coursed his energy across his entire blade.

"Liddy!" Pulling the Slayer back, Artorian would move forward without a plan, his left arm going numb and forcing him to drop his father's sword. He was now defenseless; however he showed no hesitation as he focused his energy into his right arm, willing to clash with the Hunter's blade with nothing but his fist.

As their energy was about to collide, the Hunter would be taken off guard as he was sent to the side, hitting against a tree as a clawed hook gripped around his entire body. Both Liddy and the Lord recognized Erica's Everlasting, the Slayer landing in the open field shortly after trapping the Hunter.

Nakri and Nesat were both about to move in to attack her, but jumped back as a storm of green and teal energy bolts shot at the ground. Claire and Emilia were next to enter the fray, Emilia landing in front of Liddy and Artorian while Claire landed next to Erica. Claudia was the last to arrive, planting her feet into the mud while holding her Tudor Rose to her side.

"About time, I was beginning to think I would have to hog all the spotlight." Artorian chuckled, wincing as he let his arm fall back down, his energy calming as he took a moment to recollect himself.

"Liddy, what are the conditions of your team?" Claire asked, keeping her focus on the three Hunters.

"Aly, Reitia and Wendy are all unconscious, Jackson is holding on however they've all lost their variable stones." Liddy would answer, moving to check on Artorian's wounds when she got back up. "Artorian's take several hits, however he appears stable enough that he isn't in critical condition."

"Thank god, we made it in time." Emilia sighed with relief, turning to look to the boy as she did. "Why do you have to be this reckless?"

"What can I say? I enjoy saving damsels in distress."

"I'm sorry to ask this of all of you, but I'll need you to take the fight directly." Claire would say, regarding to the fresh Slayers. "My combat abilities are at their lowest in this rain, even with activating my Full-Body Armament. I will provide support if I can, but protecting the injured will take my priority."

"No problem Prez, I got a score to settle here anyways." Emilia would say, narrowing her eyes as she stared down with Krovanh.

"You wanna go snow-hair!?" Krovanh growled, his energy remaining strong even in the grasp of Erica's Everlasting.

"With pleasure." She would respond, transforming her Hundred and forming dual swords in her hands.

"Get in line Emile, I ain't done with him yet." Artorian stated, wincing as he stood back up, the Lord feeling his arms strength return before picking his sword up.

"Artorian, but you aren't in any condition to…" She would start, looking back to Artorian before seeing his firm stare. After the hits he took, the Lord should be as far from a fight as he could, one of the cuts on his shoulders nearly hitting bone. But looking to him, the Variant knew that telling him to stay back was something just beyond what could be done. It never worked in the past, and in the heat of battle she couldn't risk him lunging out in the middle of everything. "Can I not convince you on fighting either of the others?"

"Nope." He grinned, stepping forward to be by her side. "If it'll make you feel better, I know how to loosen his threat level. I just can't focus on him with the two others interrupting every other second."

"Leave it to you to look at the biggest threat and want to run in head first." Emilia sighed, albeit with a smile as she turned to Nesat and Nakri, crossing her blades as she readied herself. "I'll see what I can to keep them off you."

"You can leave one of them to me." Liddy stated, planting her feet as she stepped next to the pair. "I still have enough strength to fight. You don't need to fight them by yourself Crossfode."

"Liddy?"

"They rely on outnumbering their opponents, a two on one would be a problem for you regardless."

"Thanks." Emilia grinned, trusting the Slayer to cover for her with one of the Hunters. "Good to have you on the front lines Liddy."

"Likewise Crossfode."

"That's enough!" Krovanh screamed, pulsing his energy and pushing his arms forward, breaking Everlasting's hold on him and shattering the tree behind him. "It doesn't matter how many Slayers show up, I'll destroy all of you!"

"You can't even destroy me, it'd be a cold day in hell before you beat any of them!" Artorian glared as he lunged forward, seeing Krovanh charged towards them.

The moment the two collided, Emilia and Liddy would rush forward after Nesat and Nakri. Spinning into action, Nakri would immediately begin to trade blows with the lancer, Liddy's shield sparking as she parried multiple attacks. At the same time, Emilia would go on the offensive with Nesat, the Hunter's eye glowing as she attempted to copy the Slayer's own Hundred.

However due to the nature of Emilia's Arms Shroud, Nesat's attempt came ineffective, shocking her. She would then shift her attention to Liddy, copying the lance and shield to block Emilia's first swing just as the Hundred materialized.

 _'She let me get this close before using her Hundred?'_ Emilia would wonder, getting pushed back by Nesat but quickly going on the offensive. The white-haired girl would swing multiple times, Nesat blocking both with her shield and lance, the two showing an impressive display of reaction timing as they traded swings.

Parrying a blow from Emilia, Nesat would activate the spiral of her lance and pierce forward. Emilia would release the sword that was knocked to the side, transforming the weapon into a shield that she slammed her forearm onto, blocking Nesat's attack and standing her ground amidst the sparks and rain. She would then push the lance to the side, bringing her sword up to strike the Hunter.

Nesat would block the attack in return, pushing her arms to the side and kicking up, Emilia taking the blow and wincing as she took a step back. However she quickly dodged to the side, her eyes narrowed as the lance passed just by her face. She would then duck down in Nesat's side arc swing. Emilia would then transform her Hundred into a martial arts type, her arms and legs forming more combative armor as she swung forward.

Nesat would just bring her shield up, the blow amplified as Emilia's energy pulsed through the gauntlet and sent her skidding back on her heels. Planting her feet down, Emilia would begin to send blow after blow at Nesat, the Hunter blocking each punch with her shield. However it was visible that her defenses were suffering amidst the onslaught of blows.

When Emilia would jump up and spin, she'd throw an energy enhanced kick that would pulse with power, sending Nesat back skidding onto a single knee. The Hunter, now with a gap between them, would look to Claudia, her eye glowing once more as her Hundred reassembled to a duplicate of Tudor Rose.

 _'She isn't altering her Hundred right away either.'_ Emilia noted, standing straight and changing her Hundred to a scythe, the blade glowing blue as she focused her energy. _'She has an innocence type like me, but she's lacking in variety, with a Hundred type like ours that shouldn't be possible. Unless… she can only copy Hundreds she can see.'_

Placing a foot forward, Emilia would take off quickly, spinning her scythe and slashing out as Nesat fired her flail out. The two collided, and the moment the Slayer's feet touched the ground again she'd twist her scythe around her body before sending a slash of energy out, Nesat using her armored gauntlet to protect herself from the attack.

When she took her arm down, the Hunter saw Emilia rush her, this time with dual daggers gripped in reverse. She'd recall her flail and use it to block the incoming flurry of slashes, losing ground with each swing as she was forced to step back. Emilia's assault was proving affective, as Nesat was left backed against a tree in a matter of seconds. Once she had nowhere to go, Nesat would quickly punch her flail to the side, knocking both daggers out of Emilia's hands and would launch it, attempting to land a decisive blow on the Slayer.

When she lost her daggers, Emilia's eyes would turn gold as she released her Variant energy, the temporary burst causing Nesat's flail to bounce back and nearly hit her, striking through the tree. Emilia would then quickly jump up, kicking off Nesat and recalling her Hundred, transforming the daggers and two of her feathers back into gun pods.

Even with the rain, focusing enough of her energy would allow her to fire a full charged blast of energy at the Hunter, Nesat unable to do more than cross her arms and take the blow, flipping over the destroyed tree and drop onto the ground on her back. Nesat winced in pain as her Hundred vanished, the girl slowly pushing herself up to sit in time to look up, her whole body freezing as Emilia transformed her canons into a single rapier, holding it just short of her replacement eye.

"Your Hundred is an innocence type like mine, but you have a glaring weakness." Emilia would say, keeping her blade aimed at the Hunter as she did. "You can't just create Hundreds, you require a visible base. Am hitting in the park?" She'd then question, Nesat frozen stiff at the sight of the blade's tip. "So does that mean if I take care of that golden eye of yours, you'll be unable to use your Hundred period?"

"P-Please…" Nesat would mutter out, the fear in Nesat's eye surprising Emilia. Her whole body was shaking, the girl bringing her hand up to cover her right eye. "I… I'll surrender. Just please, don't take my eye again."

Seeing the girl's fear, Emilia's face would turn somber, her sword still pointed to Nesat's eye but with no intent to push forward. "Why do you have eyes? Aren't they to see the beauty of the world?" She would ask, confusing Nesat as she looked up to Emilia. "You have a gift that is meant to appreciate everything, but you twisted it to hurt others. How can you fight against people trying to protect the world with such a weapon?"

"You… you wouldn't understand." Nesat would respond, looking down as tears escaped her left eye. "A Slayer like you is blind to the world. You say an eye is to see the beauty, but what about the ugly? How do I respond to what's wrong with this world? What people like you refuse to acknowledge."

"…" Emilia remained silent in face of the question, her eyes returning to normal as she looked to the Hunter. "I don't know. I haven't experienced the ugly of the world, but there's someone I know that has." She'd then look to Artorian, the Lord battling against Krovanh while remaining on the defensive.

 _'The one Vitaly is concerned about? Abyssal?'_ Nesat thought, following Emilia's gaze.

"Outside of a fight, you can see in his eyes that he's seen a lot wrong with the world." The Slayer would say, her gaze remaining somber, yet a smile formed over her lips as she had faith in Artorian's abilities. "But even then, he's still fighting on. He has a will that I have yet to see be matched, brushing off the pain he feels in order to get one more swing, one more punch, anything to change the tide. He doesn't want to be one, but I know if anyone here can be a hero to this world, it's him."

 _'A hero… him?'_ The Hunter would wonder, before her attention was taken as she heard Nakri scream, seeing her cousin get knocked down after a powerful thrust from Liddy. The Hunter would remain conscious, but as she fell to her back, her Hundred deactivated, leaving her in the same condition as Nesat.

"Nakri!"

"Remain down, it's for your best interest." Liddy would say, standing in her readied stance. She knew Nakri would have little energy after being knocked out of her Hundred, but as an Artificial Variant she couldn't be too careful.

"N-No, if Krovanh's still fighting… than I can't…!" Nakri would try to say, pushing herself up to her feet. However a few seconds into standing her legs gave up on her, falling to her front. "D-Damn it… why can't I move?"

"Nakri, please don't move anymore." Both Emilia and Liddy would react and turn their attention to Nesat as she got up, however relaxed their posture as she ran for her cousin, helping sit her so that she wasn't face down in the mud. "You're hurt, just take it slow."

"Nesat… I'm sorry." Nakri said, tears entering her eyes as she looked to her elder cousin. "I… I was too weak again. I couldn't… keep up with them on my own."

"It's okay, you fought as hard as you could." Nesat responded, comforting her cousin as she did. "You don't need to feel responsible."

"All that's left is the boy in their group." Liddy would note, turning to see Artorian clash blades with Krovanh, the Lord taking a protective posture as the Hunter was swinging wildly. "Should we move in to assist?"

"No, he'll be alright." Emilia smiled, her eyes staring with certainty. "He won't lose, not to the same person twice."

"You damn Slayers!" Krovanh would shout, his assault continuing to push Artorian back as he swung with both his blades fiercely. "Scum like you shouldn't exist, not with the authority you've been given!"

"Where do you get off?" Artorian grunted, Krovanh's latest strike sending his skidding back and falling to a knee, the mud at his feet giving him and having him lose balance. "You're the one going around attacking anything that moves, kettle calling the pot black with comments like that you brat."

"Like you'd ever understand!" Krovanh screamed in furry, his energy growing more rapidly as he rushed Artorian, swinging his sword down with fury as the two clashed, pushing their blades against each other. "You Slayers cause nothing but pain everywhere you go! You act without a second thought, no matter how drastic it hurts everyone around you!" The Hunter would then begin to swing down in quick succession, the speed of the blows preventing Artorian from countering.

"The suffering that have spawned from Slayers like you! Past and current generations! Everyone who isn't strong gets blown away if they don't conform! Denying what you preach is sin! Defending yourself from you is heresy! This whole world has gone wrong and needs to be fixed! So I'll rip it apart! I'll rip the whole world from the seams and put it back together! And bastards like you won't stand in the way! I'll fix this world even if it kills me!"

"Like hell you know anything!' Artorian shouted back, summoning his energy as he found and opening and slashed up. "You think you're able to fix this world!? Bullshit! This whole world is screwed because of not Slayers, but just the people in it!" Artorian would then stand up, pushing against Krovanh as he stared the Hunter in the eyes, knowing he had a short window ahead of him. "Trying to fix it is pointless! The world doesn't want to be fixed! What the fuck would a stupid kid like you manage to do that everyone else has failed!?"

"Because I know what needs to be done!" Krovanh shouted, blood trailing from his lip as his eyes went bloodshot, the glow of his eyes turning more and more overbearing as he pushed against Artorian. "I won't let this world fall apart! Because there's people like me that need help still! Bastards and Slayers refuse to change what is needed because of the inconvenience it would be! They refuse to do the right thing, so I'll kill you all and rebuild what was made! I won't let this world be torn apart by the failures of humanity!"

"You stupid shit, you don't know the first thing about this world!"

"I know more than you ever would!"

As the two clashed, their energy would begin to collide, green pushing against blue as they battled for control. As they did, Artorian's eyes would widen in focus, time slowing to a crawl to him as he felt the energy begin to meld. His whole body remained firmly in place, but he felt as though he was now completely out of place.

* * *

In a single blink, he'd see the entire terrain shift around him, the raining forest transforming into a desert wasteland. Looking around, he'd remain confused before he turned around, his eyes widening as he saw a caravan of people, most in ragged clothes while a select few were in variable suits and military uniforms.

 _'That's… Al-Salaam's designs.'_ Artorian realized, just as a person in the middle of the group fall over.

 _"Hey what do you think you're doing?"_ The one of the men in variable suits questioned, the whole group stopping in fear as he approached the fallen person.

 _"Please, don't be mad!"_ One of the other figures pleaded, a girl's voice as she moved to defend the fallen kid. _"Nakri's just weak from the travel! She just needs a second to-!"_

 _"Who said you could talk!?"_ The Slayer shouted, smacking the girl away in the midst of her plea.

"Hey!" Artorian growled as he ran forward, throwing his fist and becoming confused as he went right through the man. "What the hell?" He'd then turn back, seeing that no one was even reacting to his presence, as if the hybrid wasn't even present.

 _'What the hell is going on?'_

 _"Nesat!"_ A young boy's voice would shout out, a third kid in rags shouting as he rushed after the man. _"Leave them alone you bastard!"_

 _"What did you say to me!?"_ The Slayer demanded, striking the boy and knocking him down. _"Hundred On!"_ The man then pulled out a variable stone, throwing it and forming a whip Hundred. _"Getting rather cocky again, huh punk? I guess I have to shape you up again."_

 _"Go ahead and try you bast-AAHHHH!"_ The boy would try to say, but was interrupted as the Slayer whipped him harshly across the back, his clothes ripping and revealing a cut from the attack.

 _"Krovanh!"_ Both girls screamed in fear, watching as the Slayer continued to whip the boy's back.

 _'Wait… Krovanh? The Hunter?'_ Artorian would think, turning to see the faces of Nesat and Nakri, recognizing the trio of Hunters. _'What the hell is going on? Am I… seeing his memories?'_

" _You should remember your place, you worthless hunk of flesh!"_ The Slayer would say, watching as Krovanh quivered on the ground, several gashes in his back from the whip's strikes. _"You serve us, to the letter! Any deviation will be met with punishment! All of you remember this!"_

It was a rough but well-known topic that Al-Salaam, even to this day, still practiced is slavery. Attempts were made to stop it, however it and the rest of the countries in the Middle East proved to be rather resilient. They lacked resources, but their average fighters were nothing to scoff at, it's what allowed them to remain one of Warslran's top rivals.

The location would then shift again, Artorian turning to see Krovanh hanging by his wrists with metal chains, suffering several whips as the gashes in his back appeared larger than before.

 _"You're a rather odd one, seventeen times you've tried to break free, and every time is a failure!"_ The same Slayer from before shouted, ending his sentence with another whip, resulting in a pained cry from Krovanh. _"What is a brat like you thinking you can do? This encampment is fortified with Slayers and soldier alike in the middle of nowhere! Escape is pointless even if you managed it!"_

 _"You say that, but I seem to notice two are gone…"_ Krovanh would cough hoarsely, a weak grin on his face as he did. _"Don't tell me, you brought me here again cause you… realized my plan was to get them out… huh?"_

 _"Bastard, where'd they go!"_ The Slayer shouted, whipping Krovanh again, getting straight to the point as the boy called him out. _"We know they're your family, you wouldn't just send them anywhere! So where. Did. They. GO!?"_

 _"Someplace… safe… away from you."_

 _"A tough guy, you've got spine if not anything else."_ The Slayer said, a sadistic grin widening on his face as he reared his arm again. _"I'll enjoy fixing that over the next few days! Once I'm done, you'll sing like a bird!"_ The sound of the door opening would then be heard, the Slayer appearing annoyed while Artorian looked to the source in surprise. _"I told you not to enter! If anyone's getting him to talk it'll be-gah!"_

 _"Get away from my little brother!"_ Nesat would scream, the girl plunging a knife into the back of the Slayer's knee as she ran in with fury.

 _"Damn, brat!"_ The Slayer grunted, turning and attempting to kick her away. Nesat would avoid it however, pulling the knife out and stabbing it into his other leg. As his balance shifted, Nakri would suddenly run in throwing a rock, hitting him in the face and knocking him over.

 _"Krovanh!"_ Nakri would shout in concern, seeing her cousin being held up with the chains before running to him."

 _"N…Nakri? Nesat? What are you… doing…?"_ The boy would attempt to say, coughing in pain as Nakri reached into her ragged clothes, pulling out a set of keys.

 _"We came back to save you! We couldn't leave you behind!"_ She'd answer, fumbling with her keys as she tried to find the right one. When she did, she'd get it into the cuffs surrounding Krovanh's wrists, unlocking it and catching him before he collapsed.

 _"You need to… run…"_ Krovanh gasped, coughing out blood as he felt his vision fading.

 _"No! Not without you!"_

During the whole process, Artorian could feel everything from Krovanh's perspective. The blistering pain in his back from the whipping, the deathly weakness from being left without food or water for several days, even the droplets of tears falling on him from Nakri were felt by the hybrid in full detail.

 _"_ Nakri… run…!" Krovanh would attempt to warn, but was too late as the Slayer appeared and struck the girl from behind, knocking both her and Krovanh over.

 _"Ahh!"_

 _"Damn, worthless brats!"_ The Slayer growled, his legs bleeding yet he remained active after punching Nesat off. _"I knew the benefits from shits like you wasn't worth it! I should have gotten rid of you from the start!"_ He'd then raise his whip, sending it down and just grazing Nakri's shoulder as Nesat tackled him by his legs and stabbing his side with the knife.

 _"AAHHHHH!"_

 _"Damn fucking bitch!"_ The Slayer shouted, pushing Nesat back and punching her in the eye, the girl screaming in pain as he kicked her away. Reaching for the knife and pulling it out, he'd walk over to the girl, kicking her side to force her onto her back before getting on top of her. _"You seem to like this knife? How about you get a closer look?"_

The Slayer would then grin darkly as he flipped the knife to hold it in a reverse grip, Nesat fighting against him but unable to budge him off from his strength and weight.

 _"N-N-No! Get off!"_ Nesat would scream, reaching her hands up and attempting to push the knife away. However no matter what she did, the man's natural strength alone would give him the edge over the kid, forcing her to watch as he inched the tip of the knife closer and closer to her face.

 _"Making demands huh? I guess there really is no fixing you."_ The Slayer grinned, his eyes bloodshot as he pushed against her hands, the knife just and inch from her right eye. _"Say goodbye to that pretty little eye of yours!"_

 _"A-AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_ Nesat would scream in agony as the knife dug into her eye, the man slowly pushing it in more to have her suffer through it all. He'd leave the knife in for several seconds, her cries of pain getting a reaction from Krovanh as he looked up from his down's position.

 _"_ … _Ne…sat…"_

 _"Such a shame, you would've made a great whore when you grew older."_ The Slayer commented, ripping the knife out and getting one more pained cry from Nesat, her eye being ripped out along with it. _"And now, for the other eye."_

 _"Get away from my sister!"_ Krovanh screamed in fury, the Slayer being caught off guard as he tackled hi, forcing him to drop the knife. The two rolled on the ground before the Slayer got the upper hand, punching Krovanh's gut and forcing the boy to cough out blood.

 _"Fucking brat! Don't know when to quit!"_ The Slayer growled, punching his stomach again before grabbing his throat, throwing him across the torture room. _"All of you, fucking worthless excuses of humans! Not one with a lick of energy and too weak to even be useful workers! You were lucky to be alive for this long!"_ He then would reach down, grabbing Krovanh by his hair and holding him up. _"You're nothing, you'll always be nothing! All because you have no power!"_

 _"M…Maybe… but at least we'll… be alive!"_ Krovanh would shout, twisting his whole body and brandishing the knife, slashing it across the Slayer's throat. The man wouldfeel the blade cut through his skin, releasing Krovanh and grabbing his neck in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. The boy wouldn't allow that however, as he tackled the man again with his remaining strength, sitting up on him and plunging the knife repeatedly into his chest.

 _"Fucking horrid excuse of a human! What the fuck makes you so special! You think you can torture us! Abuse us! Treat us like garbage! And why!? Because you're a damn Slayer!? You're nothing but a human with energy, your only difference is you were gifted by a damn virus with all benefits and no negatives! You're nothing! Just a waste of flesh! A bastard! A monster! A FUCKING DOG!"_

After plunging the knife into the Slayer's chest for the twentieth time, Krovanh would feel his strength leave him and he'd collapse to his side, the Slayer now dead from the loss of blood and repeated stabbing.

 _"K-Krovanh!"_ Nakri would yell in fear, going to the boy as she fought against the pain from the large gash in her shoulder. Nesat would follow, the pain from her removed eye unbearable but she fought against it, concerned for her younger brother. _"Krovanh! Krovanh! Please get up!"_

 _"I… told you to… never come back…"_ Krovanh croaked out, the boy barely able to move as he looked up to his sister and cousin.

 _"_ … _W…We couldn't just… run away." Nesat cried, relieved to see him breathing. "…We ran into someone… she helped us… get in. We got to you… because of her."_

 _"She?"_

 _"That would be me."_ A woman's voice would speak up, walking into the room. The woman was wrapped in a ragged cloak that hid most of her body from the outside environment. However her head was completely exposed, revealing long red hair, her eyes yellow with a sharp look to them. Artorian noted that from her pale skin she wasn't from Al-Salaam, what's more her features appeared almost familiar to him.

 _"W-Who are… you…?"_

 _"Vitaly Tynyanov. You must be Krovanh."_ Artorian's eyes would widen in realization, him now having a face to the woman who had experimented on Sakura back then. _"Tell me, you killed that Slayer, correct?"_

 _"What… about it?"_

 _"That was rather impressive, for three kids. I have a need for such talent, and I feel you three will provide important results for my work."_

 _"What're… you trying to… do?"_

 _"Hmph."_ Vitaly would chuckle, brushing a bit of her hair behind her ear as she smiled sinisterly at them. _"Create a world where Slayers aren't needed anymore. Where Gods and Savage alike fall before the might of humanity, without giving up what makes us humans."_

* * *

The whole world would then begin to crack, Artorian's eyes registering the sudden shifting just as everything broke away, and in that second he was back to clashing with Krovanh, the Hunter pushing with everything he had as blood continued to come out of his mouth.

"We don't need Slayers! Once we get enough variable stones there won't be a need for freaks like us! And then we can finally all be free!" Krovanh screamed, coughing out blood but continuing on as he went against Artorian.

"…You're a damn idiot." Artorian said sympathetically, closing his eyes as he held his ground. "I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"You suffered at the hands of a monster pretending to be human. You now register that anger from that day and shift it onto Slayers because of what he did to your cousin, your sister. I understand that." Artorian would then dig his feet in, his energy growing stronger as he began to push against Krovanh. "Another time, another life, I may have joined you. I might have BEEN you. But!"

Thoughts of Karen would then go through Artorian's mind, recalling back to the first moments of seeing her. Her laughter, her smile, her tears, her cries, the thoughts lit a flame in him as he opened his eyes wide, both his energy and sword pushing Krovanh back. "I can't lose!" He'd then push with all his strength, forcing Krovanh to stumble back.

"I don't have the option of losing!" He'd shout, swinging his blade and striking Krovanh's blade, the Hunter getting back into his stance and returning the swing as they recoiled. "I made a promise, and I intend to keep it!" He'd then strike the same place on the blade, his eyes narrowing as he saw the crack on Krovanh's sword spread. "I won't let her down! I won't let you or anyone else steal away her future!"

"She won't have a future as long as you're alive!" Krovanh shouted in response, the two swinging again, the Hunter's eyes widening as he felt a powerful vibration go from his sword up his arms.

"I will get her there!" Artorian screamed in fury, swinging with all his strength and striking Krovanh's sword in synch with the vibrations, the Hunter returning and cutting across his neck. The Hunter's blade would break off from the crack, and Artorian's collar and suit underneath would give in, Krovanh's blade just barely getting knocked down and cutting across his collarbone.

Artorian grunted as he felt the cut go through his flesh and graze bone, but powered through it and struck Krovanh's side with his sword, the Hunter coughing out blood from the blow. Artorian then quickly followed it with an energy infused punch, slamming it into Krovanh's gut and sending him crashing into the cliffside.

Both Krovanh and Artorian's Hundred would then disappear, the variable stones falling into the mud as their energy ran out. The Lord was still standing, albeit covered in sweat, rain and his blood as he panted heavily. He watched as Krovanh pushed himself up to sit against the cliffside, placing a hand on his chest as he felt several ribs crack.

"It's… over…" Artorian panted, stabbing his sword into the ground to keep himself up. "You… lost."

"N-N-No… it's not… over yet. Blegh!" Krovanh would feel his insides spike with pain, forcing him to cough out blood when he attempted to get back up. "D-Damn it!"

"Krovanh, please don't!" Nakri cried out, seeing her cousin in so much pain causing her to cry. "Just stop! Please, don't hurt yourself anymore! Please!"

"Nakri…"

"…Krovanh, we lost." Nesat would add in, the oldest of the three looking to her brother in concern. "Please, no more."

"Nesat… ngh!" Krovanh would grunt as he clutched his side tight, looking back over to Artorian as he remained standing. "…I give up."

"Smart… choice…" Artorian would chuckle, feeling his kegs about ready to give in as he did. "Damn… haven't felt this trashed since… Claire. You got a sharp blade."

"Not sharp enough."

"Hehe, it'll take more than that to kill me Sharkface. Not a bad attempt though."

"Here, I got you." Emilia would say, getting underneath Artorian's right arm to help keep him up as he was about to collapse.

"Thanks…"

"No problem." She'd smile, relieved that he had managed to win.

"Claire, I still can't get a signal out." Erica would say, looking to the blonde as a bolt of lightning went across the sky.

"…We had a jammer." Nesat spoke up, revealing the tool the Hunters had used. "It kept you from warning each other."

"Then shut it off." Liddy ordered.

"…It was." Nesat said, looking to the Slayers in confusion. "When our energy went away, it should've shut off. The signal isn't going through?"

"No, it isn't." Claire responded, several more strikes of lightning going off in the sky. "The storm's getting worse, we need to start moving everyone into cover."

"Right away." Erica nodded. "Lowetti, help me get the others before the storm picks up."

"…" Claudia would look over to the vice president before turning back to Emilia, seeing the girl smiling as she looked to Artorian. Her eyes were down casted at seeing her princess give such a look to someone else, but it was undeniable at this point that she felt more for him than she ever would for her.

 _'I… guess I lost.'_

"Lowetti?"

"…Yeah, I'm coming." Claudia would say, grateful for the rain as she would go to help up Reitia. As she was about to however, all of the rain would suddenly stop, confusing everyone before six bolts of lightning came down in the surrounding area.

The impact alone from the lightning caused everyone to fly back, Claire being the only one to remain on her feet as she fought against the torrent winds that followed. The entire battlefield's terrain would have hardened, the mud being instantly burned solid from the lightning strikes. And as the winds spread drastically like a shockwave, everyone could only protect themselves from the forces as everything went crazy.

And just as quickly as the lightning and wind started, it went away. Lightning was still going off in the sky, however the bolts traveled across the sky and struck further away from them. Among the Slayers, Liddy, Erica and Claudia were able to rise to their feet immediately after the torrent winds went down, Emilia getting up to her knees as she helped Artorian rise up off the ground.

"What was that?" Erica muttered. "The chances of six lightning bolts hitting like that all at once is astronomically low, it's impossible to happen naturally."

"A rather interesting display, I'm impressed." Everyone would freeze at the sound of a man's voice, feeling the ground shake at the same time. Looking across the field, they'd see a massive man step out of the tree line, each step coursing green lightning across his body and armor. In his hand was a massive spear with a sword at the end, the polearm black with the blade glowing fluorescent green.

"Oh… fuck…" Artorian muttered, realizing right away what was happening.

"Artorian?" Emilia asked looking down and being shocked as she saw Artorian's terrified stare.

"So you recognize me? That must mean you're a hybrid as well. And an Akin at that, you are a worthy find among your peers." The distinguishable Lord said, his entire presence broadcasting power as he remained across the terrain from them.

"Artorian, who is he?' Claire would question, keeping her focus on the new Lord as her pods aimed at him.

"We need to leave. Right. Now."

"Oh, but I had just arrived. I had been very patient on getting to meet you." The Lord said, the smirk heard from his voice as he did. "And besides, you wouldn't want to leave right now. What about your friend?"

At his question, Oristin and Ato would step out from the right of the field, the human throwing a person off his shoulder and closer to the Slayers.

"Matthew!" Claire called out, seeing the hybrid covered in cuts and bruises.

"Damn it…" Artorian grunted as he saw Matthew barely breathing, the hybrid being conscious or not unknown from the extent of his injuries. "He's not going to make this easy on us."

"Artorian, who is he?" Emilia asked, seeing Artorian begin to sweat as he stared at the Lord across from them.

"A Scorned… no, THE Scorned." Artorian said, a flash of lightning going behind the Lord and revealing his glowing green eyes amidst the shadows for a split second.

"The Nameless King."

* * *

 **(A/N): God damn, this chapter started slow for me but before long I couldn't stop myself. I have to say, this is a chapter where I said I was excited for it and felt it came out near exactly as I intended for it. And in all honesty, I am proud of this chapter for a few reasons. The first reason, it gave Liddy a bit of light to shine, as in the canon series most people will know she doesn't get much opportunity to fight, and I was more than glad to give it. Another is the Hunters, as I enjoy actually writing them and wanted to give them a good action sequence in this. Also with a bit of change in the trio's background.**

 **I was also glad to give Emilia a real sequence of combat than just a thirty second beat down on two of the Hunters. I recognize that in terms of all the other girls, Emilia is one of the least liked. And to an extent I agree, as for a main girl she's got a rather bland background. However I felt with her Hundred she has a lot of opportunity to be a good character, just suffering from not getting much attention in fights and even less with her Variant abilities mostly being ignored in canon until later. And I always wondered why she rarely used it, Hayato spams it in canon and yet she never does, felt like wasted potential to me. Something I'm hoping to fix in this story.**

 **Which kind of spans to a point of me making this story. I'm not sure how many have seen the LN of Hundred or understand what I mean, but I feel a lot of the conflicts are solved solely by Hayato. Not only that, but he gets his power-ups pretty early on, with controlling the Variant Virus and unlocking Full-Body Armament so early on. I don't mind having strong characters early on, but powers like that should be saved for moments of importance, using it in the Claire fight and in the Trenta battle immediately after and then have them controlled felt hollow. That for the most part is why Artorian has yet to master his Variant Virus or even come close to activating Full-Body Armament. Which funny enough, I almost felt instinctively required to remind myself when writing that Artorian doesn't activate the Variant Virus and that he doesn't have as much starting energy as everyone else because in Hundred it's just thrown around so much for Hayato. But I feel I should get into that on its own time in another A/N that isn't so long.**

 **But outside of that, the latest introduction in this chapter will certainly give us an interesting sight to see in the next. Much like this chapter I have been looking forward to this next one, and I'll certainly enjoy it when it goes through. Anyways, I just wanted to say a few things in regards to this, so for now I'll be signing off. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one. Peace!"**


	24. Tainted

"Hmmmm…" Shifting in her bed, Karen would groan in dissatisfaction, turning onto her side in an attempt to get comfortable. "Nnnmmmmm…" Finding being on her side even worse, she would then shift to lay face down on her pillow, instantly sighing in discovery that it had done no better in order to help her go to sleep.

"Mmmmmrrrrrnnnngg…" Groaning the loudest she had before, Karen's head would turn to look at her PDA, seeing the black screen through the darkness in her hospital bed.

 _'He didn't call for the whole day…'_ She thought with worry, unable to return to sleep and shifting back to sit up in her bed. As she was about to reach for her tablet to play games, the sound of the door opening would catch her off guard.

"Eep!" She'd squeak as she hid her tablet underneath her blanket, the girl turning to the door. "M-Miharu! I swear that I was sleeping! I just…" Her nervousness would slowly go away, realizing that the woman at the door was far too small to be her nurse, neither tall enough to be even Sakura. But the light from the outside made it difficult for her to see who exactly it was. "Um… hello?"

"Oh, sorry. It's brighter out there." A quick flick of the dim lights would reveal Charlotte as the one who entered, closing the door behind her.

"Dr. Dimandias?" Karen would say in confusion, wondering why the woman was here.

"An update from LiZa told me that Artorian hasn't called, so I figured you could use a visit." The scientist said, walking up to the chair next to Karen's bed and taking a seat, holding two cups with steam coming out. "Coffee or hot chocolate?"

"Artorian says having hot chocolate this late is bad for me."

"Well then, it'll be our little secret." Charlotte would wink, handing one of the cups to the girl. Karen was hesitant, mostly due to the time of the day, but eventually accepted the cup of hot chocolate, blowing on it to cool it before taking a sip. "Hard time sleeping?"

"Mmhhmmm." Karen hummed, pausing from her drinking to look to Charlotte. "Artorian said he would try calling, and it's… what time is it?"

"It's one in the morning."

"It's that late-I mean early!" Karen gasped, groaning to herself as she hid her mouth behind her cup. "Ahhhwww… Artorian and Miharu are going to be upset with me for staying up for so long…"

"Oh, I'm sure they'll go easy on you." Charlotte reassured Karen, smiling to herself as she took a sip of her coffee. "I can't imagine them being disappointed, not in a cute girl like you."

"Still… I'm a little worried." Karen said, keeping her mouth hidden as she looked to her hot chocolate.

"Something wrong?"

"…You know about Artorian's condition, right?"

"Yes." Charlotte said, going to her PDA and typing in a few key commands before locking and deactivating the audio systems in the room, officially separating them from most outside sources. "Is something the matter?"

"Yesterday, I had read Artorian's fortune on my cards. What I saw made me worried that he… that the Abyss might take over." Karen admitted, putting her hot chocolate onto her nightstand and grabbing her tarot cards. "I got more concerned and rechecked it, and I saw the signs of loss. The chances of being controlled is even greater, and then I had… I had…"

"A bad dream?"

"A vision." Karen admitted, recalling back to when she first attempted to go to sleep. "I couldn't make it out, everything was really dark, and I couldn't make sense of most of the images. But I know what I did see, blood. A lot, and a bright bolt of green lightning. I'm afraid that… if Artorian hasn't called, maybe something bad's already happened."

"Clairvoyance is always a burdening gift. You can give warnings, but you cannot tell what is true and what is only a possibility." Charlotte noted, her expression turning somber as she took another sip from her coffee.

"You believe in clairvoyance? I thought you were a scientist?"

"Often times people call something magic in the absence of science. But you must remember, I worked with Artorias for years. Knowing magic is very real is a very difficult bomb in reality to ignore." Charlotte chuckled. "And in the presence of fire-wielding Gods, lightning being summoned from fingertips, entire wounds healing instantly, and darkness possibly personified; I think predicting the future is the least shocking of gifts to have."

"I… I guess. Miracles from the Lords is a rather shocking thing to see." Karen said, looking to the small box in her room that contained the pendant that she used to ward off Artorian's Abyss. "I just wish… I wish I didn't end up like this. Maybe if I didn't contract Severance, I'd be able to do something more."

"…Can I tell you a secret?" Charlotte asked, putting her coffee to the side as she reached into her lab coat. "Not many people know this, Mei Mei and LiZa are the only two on this boat currently that know. Not even Artorian knows."

"A-Are you sure you want to tell me? Wouldn't it be better to keep as few people in as possible? That's why Artorian says to avoid telling people about the Abyss."

"True, but this secret isn't a world class danger like the Abyss." The scientist said, pulling her hand out with something in her hand. Karen only had to look for a second before her eyes widened in realization, shock evident on her face.

"…T-Tarot cards?"

"Artorias got them for me a few months after we met. It felt like a silly joke he made, since when he first told me about magic I laughed at him directly to his face… before he conjured a black flame in his hand." Charlotte chuckled to herself, recalling the memory. "Sometimes… after I met him I'd have lucid dreams, I couldn't recall everything but at moments I felt an odd sense of déjà vu. I didn't think about it back then, but after he died I think he was trying to tell me I was clairvoyant."

"No way…"

"By the time I thought about it, I had spent too long neglecting my potential magic to effectively use it. Without becoming a Vessel, I had no chance of using it. It comes and goes, but I have no say over how to use it. I don't even know the first thing on using these cards." Charlotte will look to the cards somberly remembering to when she first got the cards. "Sometimes I think maybe if I hadn't forgotten about it, maybe I could have helped Artorias, maybe even prevent his death. But I'll never know, and truthfully I don't want to know. The past is the past and I can't change it."

"But you, you can help Artorian now. You give him something to come back to and your visions alone can help him immensely." Charlotte would then give Karen a supportive smile, winking to her in confidence. "Despite what you think, Artorian will always come back, and that's because of you. So don't worry about him because he's already busy worrying about you. I promise you he'll be back before you know it."

"…Y-You're right!" Karen would say in response. "Artorian's strong enough by himself, he can beat anything if he gets serious! My visions and predictions don't always come true, so he'll be just fine! Thank you Dr. Dimandias."

"Oh sweetie, just call me Char." Charlotte responded, reaching and patting Karen's head. "Would you mind if I stay and we talk some more? I haven't had the chance to properly meet you. And I've always wanted to see the girl that Matsuda and Hamaki brought into this world."

"You knew mom and dad as well?"

"Of course, we go back."

"W-Well… I guess I could use some company." Karen would agree, putting her cards back away as she picked up her hot chocolate. "And maybe… I could show you how to use your tarot cards?"

"I'm a lost cause with these, but I would love to see a master at work." Charlotte would laugh, smiling brightly to the girl as she grabbed her coffee. "We can see what I can do, but don't be surprised if it turns into a bust."

"N-Not at all!"

 _'She's a sweet girl.'_ Charlotte would think somberly, the scientist listening to the girl's description on how to properly use the cards. _'What ever is happening to you Artorian, get back here.'_

* * *

"One, two, three, four, five." The Nameless King counted, his eyes going from Krovanh, Nakri, Nesat, Emilia and ending on Artorian as he did. "The amount of Akin here is a rather whimsical find. Of course though, I must admit I'm disappointed at the clear limit at least two of you have. Especially you, kinsman." The Lord stated, focusing on Artorian.

"Back off." Emilia would state, stepping in front of the downed hybrid with dragoon cannons summoned, all four pointing at the Nameless King.

"Don't fire." Artorian grunted out, the loss of his energy and his excessive injuries hitting him with a wave of fatigue.

"I would listen to the Akin, attacking would be unwise." Oristin warned, his spear at the ready as he regarded the Slayers.

"You, blonde female." The Nameless King would then shift his attention to Claire, the Slayer having all her cannons targeted to him at different positions. "You're the commander of this group, are you not?"

Claire would remain unresponsive, her gaze sharp as energy was charged in the floating pods, all ready to fire at the Lord at a moment's notice. But despite that, the Nameless King showed not even a hint of concern, his eyes measured but calm as he looked to her.

"If you desire for them to all survive, you will fall back and leave the Akin behind." He spoke, green lightning dancing across his swordspear as he gripped the pole. "I promise to spare the rest. Bloodshed will not be a requirement in this encounter."

"Akin? The Hunters?" Claire questioned. "Are you working with them?"

"He means… the Variants…" Matthew coughed out, getting the attention of the Slayers as he did.

"He's after us?" Emilia asked, confused at the information.

"Claire, we need to retreat now." Liddy stated, steeping next to the president as she kept a worried glance at the two Little Garden Variants. She recalled in one of her sessions with Artorian the mention of a Forgotten Sun, removed from the Annals of Lordran after he betrayed them. And a single look at his predatorial glare, glowing green eyes and the altered V shape of his pupils gave her all the evidence she needed to assume this was that same Lord.

"Liddy?"

"You can sense it, can't you? His energy…" The Slayer attempted to shift Claire's attention, knowing that she couldn't reveal his identity without blowing Artorian's cover. But the raw presence the Lord brought was more than enough to get her point across. "He has more energy than all of us put together. And the two with him posses large amounts as well."

"…" The blonde remained silent, turning her attention back to the Scorned with narrowed eyes. She felt the energy from all of them, the strength behind them were impossible to ignore. And with at least two of them being clearly Lords, they had a disadvantage in physical strength alone. And with Artorian currently wounded and an apparent target, it made fighting a dangerous option.

"This will be your only offer. Leave the Akin, and you may live for when the Exalted return."

 _'There's too many injured, if we fight and it takes too long we could risk them getting hurt.'_ Claire would think, looking across the field to see Liddy's team all injured along with Matthew. But two of her comrades were targets, one with serious injuries that required treatment.

Taking a calming breath, Claire would close her eyes as she stood straight up, her cannons powering down and floating back over her. They would then surround her, causing the Nameless King's eyes to narrow as he registered what she was doing.

 _'So, it is going to be like that?'_

Opening her eyes, Claire would explode with energy, a gust of wind dissipating it and causing debris to fly off in every direction as her Full-Body Armament activated. A constant flow of energy was being released by her, the lights of her variable suit glowing brightly at the release of her power.

"I will not allow you to take anyone from Little Garden, and the Hunters are to be brought in for questioning." Claire declared, her cannons all priming instantly as she glared at the three Scorned. "If you wish to take them, then you will have to take them."

"I was hoping to avoid an incident, but expected this outcome." The Lord shook his head in disappointment, turning his attention to Ato and Oristin. "Ato, immobilize the Akin within their ranks and the ones acting against them. Oristin, deal with the remaining humans. By the time Sidero returns we should be finished."

"Of course, my liege." Oristin would respond, Ato giving his own growl in understanding before they readied their weapons, all of the Slayers getting ready for the fight to come.

"Everyone, stand ready." Claire ordered, shifting her feet as she prepared herself for the fight. "Protect the wounded and prevent them from reaching Artorian or Emile."

"Damn it, no. You can't fight him." Artorian attempted to argue, coughing a bit of blood out as a spike of pain went in his chest. He'd struggle against it, attempting to push himself up with his good arm. However as soon as he got to his knees, he'd go into a coughing fit, concerning Emilia and having her turn to him.

"Artorian, you're too hurt. Just stay down and-" Before the Slayer could finish, her eyes would widen as she felt a sudden presence of energy and turned to see Ato directly in front of her, his eyes golden as the Variant Virus powered up in him.

 _'So fast!'_ She'd think in alarm, crossing her arms and summoning an energy barrier to block his swing. The clash would immediately shatter her barrier, forcing her to step back in recoil before he struck forward with his fist, striking her stomach and sending her skidding back.

"Emile!" Artorian shouted in concern, stopped from getting up further as Ato kicked to the side and sent him crashing into the nearest tree. The impact nearly uprooted the tree, the Slayer coughing out spit and blood as he felt the full force of the impact through his variable suit.

The moment the two Variants were struck everyone moved into action, Claire charging her cannons and firing at the Nameless King as he remained in place, the energy simply colliding with an N-Barrier and dissipating it. She would clench her teeth as she rushed forward, seeing Oristin attempt to interrupt her with a strike to her side.

She'd fire two blasts at the Lord, shifting his spear's direction and having it collide into the ground. She'd then jump off the spear, kicking off him and firing three more shots at him and striking his chest, getting him to stumble back from the impact of her energy.

As he recovered and readied lightning in his palm, Erica's Everlasting would clasp around his arm, preventing him from firing off the bolt. He'd then pull his spear out and block Liddy, the lance immediately stopping at the impact of his weapon.

 _'Interesting, a Vessel?'_ He would think, keeping Liddy back as he recalled the presence she had. _'The Abyss is absent; did she already have it removed?'_ The Lord then pushed against her, sending her skidding back on her feet while cutting at Erica's chain, slicing through it with ease as lightning coated his spear.

"An interesting approach." The Nameless King would note, watching as several more of Claire's shots simply dissipated against his N-Barrier, the Slayer landing on the ground before aiming all six cannons directly at him. "Most commanders would send their soldiers out first."

"A good leader leads through example!" Claire announced, firing a chain blast of her Hundred directly at the Lord. His barrier once again broke the energy, his body unflinching as she fired a barrage of bolts at him.

"I couldn't agree more." He said, summoning green lightning to his hand and flicking it out towards her. The bolt would go against Claire's own, growing instantly upon exiting his barrier and enveloping all of her shots with ease. Claire's eyes widened in shock at the size, but held both her arms angled down as she focused her energy into her palms to create a barrier.

And explosion then went off, creating a cloud of smoke and debris that enclosed the area the two were in. The Nameless King remained in place, his eyes tracking the surrounding area before he'd see the cloud of dust move to the right, flicking another bolt of lightning out to strike the Slayer. But when it struck and detonated, he'd see in interest that it was one of Claire's pods moving on its own to serve as a decoy, the blonde appearing from the dust behind him with five of her cannons already charged.

"Clever." He'd smirk as she fired at point blank, five beams continuously digging at his barrier from behind as he remained still. Her eyes would narrow in frustration as his barrier alone was easily taking it and dispersing her attack without any effort from him.

 _'His barrier's not even cracking, even a Trenta would flinch at this much energy.'_ She'd think, watching the Lord as he turned his shoulder to the side so that he could look directly at her. His mouth was covered, but seeing his eyes showed the blonde that he was smiling in interest, almost as if he was more curious at a find than in a fight.

When she'd see him charge another bolt of lightning, she'd jump back and form her pods into a shield before adding her own energy to boost the defensive abilities. When the lightning struck, she was almost completely floored by the amount of power, getting forced back almost to the very edge of the open terrain as her feet struggled to keep herself standing.

"A dragoon Hundred with a user whose physical capabilities are above average?" He'd hum, almost as if he was studying her when her shield disassembled. "You're quite different from any of the Slayers I've observed, and with as much energy as you do. Tell me, how much of the Exalted's presence is inside you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't care for it!" Claire announced, focusing her energy as the thrusters on her back opened up. "Come forth, my Petals!" The dozen smaller pods all flew out and surrounded the Lord, firing constantly as they circled him. She'd then take off into the air, her cannons forming a circle around her as she pulsed her energy enough to form an aura of her green energy.

"Oh this is going to be good." The Nameless King smirked underneath his scarf, watching as Claire fired six large beams of energy down at him while her Petals fired with unrest, an explosion of the energy alone engulfing around him when the beams connected.

"Krovanh, Krovanh!" Nakri would say to her cousin, shaking him as she and Nesat were kneeling next to him. "Come on, we need to get out of here! While the Slayers are distracted we can grab the variable stones we have and get out of here."

"I can barely move my body, I'm completely out of energy." Krovanh said weakly, coughing out blood. "I pushed my limit too far, I can't do anything now." He'd then look to his cousin and sister, wincing as he felt a spike of pain in his ribs. "You need to… run. They're going to be coming after you next."

"We aren't going to leave you!" Nakri shouted, grabbing his arm and slinging it over her shoulders. "We can carry you, we just need you to stay awake and we'll get out of here!"

"I'm dead weight, I'll only slow you down."

"…We aren't abandoning you." Nesat said, slinging his other arm over her as the two girls helped stand him up. "…We're family, no one is left behind."

"Nesat… please, get Nakri out of here and-!" Krovanh's eyes would widen as he saw Ato approach, the Scorned narrowing his eyes as he aimed for the male Hunter.

Nesat's eyepatch would shift as she copied Liddy's Hundred, releasing Krovanh and moving forward to protect the two from the Variant. She would block with her shield, but a single burst of energy from Ato would completely overpower Nesat, sending her crashing back into her fellow Hunters and knocking them down to the ground.

As Nesat would push herself up, she'd open her eyes to see Ato already preparing another swing, the blow about to hit her before Claudia's flail struck the Scorned on the side of his head.

"How dare you hit Lady Emilia!" Claudia would shout as she pulled her flail back, the thrusters on her hips propelling her forward to rush the Variant. Ato would turn his eyes to her, shifting the grip on his sword before blocking her attack. Sparks would fly from the collision, but a moment later Ato would reach out and grab Claudia by the face.

The Slayer wouldn't be able to react much more than the surprise of being grabbed before he slammed her into the ground. With her stunned, he'd stand back up and throw her to the cliffside, the Slayer hitting the rock with enough force to crack the surface. But before he could shift his attention back to the Hunters, four blasts of energy would then hit his back, getting him to turn to Emilia who stood across from him, a small trail of blood coming from the corner of her lip.

"That's a serious punch, seems you've gotten your Variant powers down really well." She'd say, wiping her mouth with her wrist. When she finished, her eyes would turn to the same vibrant gold as his, her energy drastically rising upon the activation of her virus. "I've got a decent grasp of them too, wanna see who's got the higher tolerance?"

"Hrn." Ato would grumble, spinning the blade in his hand before getting into his stance. Emilia and Ato would then both lunge for each other, the white-haired Slayer transforming her Hundred into a scythe and clashing against the Variant's greatsword. The initial impact would cause Emilia's arms to jolt, Ato's physical strength keeping him more controlled as he'd swing again, this time the girl blocking with the pole and skidding several feet on her heels.

Once she stopped, she'd concentrate energy into her blade and swing again, this time matching Ato's attack when he reached her again. She'd then spin the scythe, using the momentum of her movements to add on to her attacks to properly collide against Ato's sword.

After twenty consecutive blows, Ato would apply energy into his own blade and slash hard against Emilia's scythe. She would block, but as her guard was broken he would raise his blade to strike again. Claudia's flail would then shoot out and strike his blade, throwing his aim off and having it slam into the ground next to Emilia.

The impact caused the ground beneath them to collapse, but as Emilia flipped to her side her Hundred would transform into a martial-arts type, special gauntlets and greaves forming as she landed on her feet. With enhanced speed, Emilia would bring her fist up and slam it against Ato's chin for an uppercut. The Variant would only flinch as he took the blow, fighting against her in order to stare her in the eyes with a narrowed glare.

The two then broke off, with Emilia putting her arms together to block his next swing before Claudia flew in past Ato, rearing her Hundred arm back. All of their energy would flare as Emilia sent her leg forward and Claudia struck down at Ato, bright blue, teal and green energy exploding from the combined strength.

Emilia and Claudia would both slide back, the former digging her hands and feet in the ground to stop herself sooner and rush forward to where Ato was. As she reached the cloud of dust, her instincts flared in panic and she dodged to the side, Ato's sword being thrown out and stopping her approach. When she recovered her footing, she turned in shock to see Ato already in front of her, energy coating his fist as he swung at her.

She'd swing her hand down to parry the attack, throwing her own punch that he blocked with his forearm. They'd then focus energy into their limbs, their speed increasing as they collided in direct hand-to-hand combat. Blocking for Emilia was difficult, as Ato's physical strength and surprising speed made her have to prioritize each move. Meanwhile Ato was certain to prevent her legs from hitting him, the first overhead kick having informed him of the shifting gear that amplified the effectiveness even more.

When Ato would parry Emilia's latest punch to have her go to his side, he'd duck under as Claudia flew over him, having attempted to land a hit on him while he was busy with Emilia. The Slayer would click her tongue in anger at her miss, using her thrusters to flip her mid air and set herself up to strike him again.

Ato would this time release his energy into an N-Barrier, blocking both Claudia's follow up and Emilia's kick from behind. Cracks formed in the barrier, however it held long enough for him to send out a pulse of energy. Off balancing the two, Ato would first kick out and strike Emilia in the face, stunning the girl before she was sent skidding across the ground on her back.

When he turned back to Claudia, he would grab her flail as she sent it out at him, the Slayer landing and attempting to recall it. However the Variant would keep a firm grip on the Hundred, tightening his grip on it as his energy spiked. He then eventually closed his fist, shattering the flail and disarming Claudia.

Panic filled Claudia's face as she attempted to jet back, but was stopped as Ato instantly reached her, striking her stomach with enough force to get her to cough spit and blood. He then followed by kicking the side of her head, the blow stunning her before she crashed back into a tree, going through it before rolling to a halt on the ground.

"Claudia!"

"Gremlin…"

Emilia and Artorian would both speak out in concern at the girl, her Hundred deactivating as she remained motionless on the ground. The former of the two would push herself up and run to Claudia's side, flipping her over to get a look at the damage.

Aside from her blood from the punch and the decent sized cut on her face from the kick, she appeared mostly fine. Although she was knocked out completely from the pain of Ato's enhanced attacks.

"Emile… what's her…" Artorian grunted out, pushing himself up to a single knee as he looked to the two. Truthfully he didn't care much for Claudia, but in the situation they were in every life was on the line.

"I think she'll live, she's knocked out but breathing still." Emilia informed, laying Claudia back down as she got back up. As Ato walked and pulled his sword out from the ground, Emilia would tighten her fists in anger, turning back to flash her eyes at the enemy Variant. "Now you're going to get it."

Transforming her Hundred again, Emilia would this time summon a multitude of rapiers, two forming in her hands while four more floated around her like her Arms Shroud. Summoning more energy forward, Emilia would move at high speed directly at Ato, the Variant blocking her as she jabbed at him with both her rapiers.

He'd immediately push her away, swinging his greatsword side to side as her floating blades all went at him. After the last one was knocked to the side, she'd lunge at him as he parried. She'd then spin on her heels, delivering several blows before spinning under a swing from Ato. He'd then knock one of the returning rapiers away before blocking her dual slash aimed at his back.

As he would spin to push her away, he'd block two more of her floating weapons, dodging top the side as she attempted to pierce him. He'd then wince as the fourth rapier grazed his cheek, leaving a small cut before he blocked Emilia's latest attempt at impaling him. Seeing her pulse her energy into her entire body, he'd growl in response before jumping back to avoid two of her rapiers on the move.

When he landed, he'd spin to his right and knock one away, using the momentum of his swing to spin and slash at the approaching Emilia. She'd duck under, sliding between his legs and turning once she was behind him to swing at his head. The Scorned would turn quickly, his mouth opening before he bit down on the tips of the two rapiers, his aura appearing as he pulsed his strength to preform the feat without getting stabbed.

Emilia was caught off guard by the method of blocking, leaving her open as Ato swung wide and struck her side with his blade. The swing had cut right into her variable suit, grazing skin as she pulsed her energy in time to avoid getting a serious injury. But at the same time his energy pulsed as well, the enemy Variant timing it in synch with her own to send her crashing back into the cliffside.

The girl gasped in pain as the impact knocked the wind out of her, her eyes returning to normal as she collapsed to her hands and knees, coughing as she desperately attempted to get air back into her lungs. He left hand was pressed against her side, feeling the blood flow out from the cut he had managed to land on her, revealing the dangerous edge to the weapon he possessed.

As she would attempt to push herself up, she was met with Ato's boot, getting kicked hard enough to knock her back into the cliffside and leave several massive cracks against the rock. The blow managed to stun her completely, the Slayer collapsing to the ground as she felt her muscles lock up from the pain. She was now bleeding from her side, lips and nose, the kick having nearly broken her nose and managed to cut her lips.

Ato would remain standing over Emilia with a cold stare, keeping his greatsword ready as if he was expecting her to get up again. When she would remain down, struggling to get herself to move, he would step away to avoid a rock being thrown at him. His eyes would then turn to Artorian, the hybrid keeping himself standing by leaning against the tree beside him.

"Oi, feeling tough there… prick?" Artorian grunted out, grinning nervously as he looked to his rival Variant. "Must feel pretty good, beating up two girls that are nearly a foot shorter than you."

Ato would show little reaction to the accusation, simply turning to have his entire body facing Artorian. However as his eyes were drawn to Artorian's own, the predatorial ferocity in his vision would enhance, his pupil shrinking as his energy would burst around him.

"…You…"

"Ah… shit." Artorian would just get out before Ato sped to right in front of him, giving the hybrid no time to react before delivering a heavy punch to his gut. Just as he took the blow, Ato would grab at Artorian's variable suit and swing him against the tree, nearly splitting it in two from the impact before keeping him in place.

Artorian would cough blood through his closed teeth, attempting to keep the pain down as he'd look at Ato in the eyes. "Damn… was it something I… said?" He'd chuckle weakly, seeing the enraged stare from Ato.

"…You… abandon…" Ato would attempt to speak out, blood escaping from his lips as his voice sounded hoarser with each word. "…Kill…"

"Gonna… have to… use… normal… speech…" Artorian would taunt the Variant, using the same tone before grinning. "Sound stupid and… generic if you don-GAH!" Ato would interrupt the hybrid as he struck his stomach hard, the force transmitting through him and into the tree causing it to shatter and collapse to their side.

Ato would keep Artorian standing for a few seconds before releasing him, letting him drop into a coughing fit on his side as blood nearly blocked his throat. He'd hack out several blotches of blood before his breathing finally settled and he looked up to the Scorned, attempting to push himself up to his hands and knees.

"That… all… you… got…" He was answered as Ato kicked up and struck the open cut across his chest that Krovanh left, getting a gasp of pain before Artorian collapsed back to the ground. "Ghh… not bad… for a novice." Ato would then kick at Artorian's side, striking his side continuously as his eyes were widened in rage.

"Artor…ian…" Emilia would groan in pain, lifting her head up to see Artorian as Ato ruthlessly kicked at his side. It wasn't until a firm kick struck hard enough to break a rib did Artorian shout in pain, the scream, getting most of the Slayers attention and even the Nameless King.

"Artorian!?"

"Ato, stand down!" The Nameless King ordered, his subordinate stopping just short of delivering another kick to the downed hybrid. "You are to do as little damage as possible while keeping them down! If you strike him again I will step in!"

The threat alone had gotten Ato to stop, stepping back from Artorian as the hybrid remained motionless on the ground, the occasional pained gasp and winced eye being the evidence that he was still conscious.

After his warning, the Nameless King would turn his attention back to Claire, who stood at the ready with her Petals and gun pods all floating around her, building up energy for her next volley. "Hmmm." He'd hum, thinking as he looked to the blonde.

"What?"

"You've been firing these projectiles constantly at max power with barely any note fatigue. I'm under the assumption this is merely a fraction of what you're capable of." He'd say. "Tell me, you wouldn't happen to be an Akin with a dormant blessing, would you?" Getting a silent glare in return, he'd come to his own conclusion at the message.

"Well then tell me, what if I could offer you a power past that of the Akin?" The Nameless King offered, holding a hand out for the proposal. "The Akin are powerful, but they lack a final piece in order to become what they are to be destined to be. Such a prominent… Slayer I believe you're called, would be wasted simply fighting for the dregs of humanity. The Exalted could make a true Archon out of you."

"I would never betray my post, an offer such as that spits in my role to protect humanity. Dregs or not, our numbers are coming back, even if slowly." Claire responded, her weapons primed to fire.

"A stubborn one then. A shame you desire to resist, the Exalted's Blood would have transformed you into something more than just a human." The Nameless King would sigh, holding his swordspear to the side as he looked to her. "Then let us not waste time and get to the finale sooner."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"You have been holding back, attempting to find my barrier's weakness. I assure you that there is no weak spot in my defense, and your current energy will not provide any damage." The Lord stated, his eyes trained on Claire as he did. "So my proposition for you is simple. Charge all of your energy into your strongest attack, and fire at me."

"You're insane."

"Not insane, just confident in my abilities." He responded. "Tell me, why hesitate? I'm offering you a chance to fir everything you have at once. I will not even move, I will take and defend myself from your full power. And if it works, then you rid yourself of me then and there. Is that not the best chance you'd have?"

"…Tell your two to stand down." Claire said, getting an entertained hum from the Lord. "I will not fire while my Slayers could be caught in the blast. So call off your men so that no fighting is happening around us."

"A rather noble sentiment, I respect a leader who concerns themselves with their subordinates' wellbeing." The Nameless King commented. "Foolish, but a respectable notion regardless. Ato, Oristin, stand down." At his order, Ato took several more steps away from Artorian's downed form, while Oristin would parry Liddy's latest attack and jump back, confusing the Slayer at the action.

"Now then, shall we conclude our business?" He would question, everyone's attention on Claire as he smiled underneath his scarf. "The Exalted's will is a pressing matter, so let us end this little skirmish."

"Very well, I'll show you the strength of Little Garden." Claire spoke, her eyes narrowed as her gun pods all dissipated into energy, forming her Buster Cannon while her Petals all shifted and locked into place around the barrel. Energy then began to build up in her weapon, her aura exploding out as she summoned all that she had to power the Buster Cannon up.

"A rather large amount of energy, I can see why he desires to end this now." Oristin noted, confusing the Slayers as he remained perfectly calm, his tattered plume waving sporadically as the energy Claire was generating began to turn violent. The raw amount began to send wind in every direct ion, as well as even shake the ground with the presence alone.

"Claire… don't…" Matthew tried to warn, grunting as he pulled himself up to a sitting position against a tree. "He's… baiting you." His words wouldn't reach the blonde, the roar of her energy charging deafening most of the area as she aimed to the Nameless King.

"Yes, this is a rather impressive surge of energy." He'd say, his eyes glowing as he remained steadfast. "It is a shame you won't consider joining us. The power you'd have as an Archon could've gone nigh unmatched."

"I would never abandon my duty as a Slayer. I will use my power to protect those without it, and to uphold humanity's survival and progression!" Claire stated in response, the energy around her dying out as all of it was now building up in her Hundred, the barrels of her Buster Cannon and Petals all glowing with the barely contained power. "Take this!"

With her shout, her Hundred would fire, the moment the energy shooting out caused a massive shockwave to surround her, nearly shattering the ground she stood on. The massive beam of energy traveled with destructive might, tearing up the terrain as it picked up speed as it spiraled towards the Nameless King. The Lord remained in place, his smile turning into a smirk as it connected against his barrier.

Upon initial impact, the barrier held up perfectly as the beam was pushing against it. The negative properties within the barrier seemed to be eating at the energy, although the raw strength of Claire's attack was continuous. Any attempt from the barrier to dissipate the energy was met with a growing struggle, and after ten seconds of the clash a crack would form in the barrier surrounding the Nameless King.

"Yes, this is the energy I've been expecting." He'd say, watching as several more cracks began to form across his barrier. "And from a regular human, the Exalted's plan of Ascension truly is working. First Ato, now her, their plan is working perfectly."

After a near minute of the beam being fired, most of the Nameless King's barrier was cracked, barely holding together as Claire's power continued to push against him. It wasn't until she felt her energy waiver that she knew she had to finish this, and as she'd plant her feet Claire would push forward and fire whatever remaining energy she had.

The amount was enough to shatter the Nameless King's barrier, the Lord staring in excitement as the energy enveloped him and caused a massive explosion. The shockwave following matched that of when the Nameless King first appeared, the Slayers present all struggling to keep themselves in place. Even Ato and Oristin had to plant their feet into the ground, still losing some ground as Claire's energy detonated in a chain reaction.

The explosion remained active for nearly a full minute, the bulk of Claire's energy releasing burst after burst of remnant power that continued to build off the previous detonation. When it was finally over, debris and dirt was floating in the air, surrounding almost the entirety of the field the battle was in.

Claire was panting heavily from the exertion, her energy almost completely depleted, her Hundred shutting off from the critical levels and transforming back into a variable stone. She'd manage to catch the stone, barely keeping herself on her feet as she looked to the cloud of debris. She'd stare at the obstruction, attempting to sense if there was any energy remaining at the center. As her senses focused, her eyes widened in shock, followed as a gust of wind caused the wind to disperse.

"Destroying my N-Barrier, even at it's normal state with a single over charged blast…" The Nameless King would say, looking on from the crater he was in with a sense of appreciation. "I must say Slayer, no one's broken through any of my barriers since Ornstein. Your growth is impressive, admirable I'd dare say."

"H…How…?" Claire muttered out, shocked at the Nameless Kings condition. Parts of his body were steaming from the attack, however not a piece of his armor had been destroyed, the clothe barely even scorched from the energy's heat. But aside from that, no visible damage had been taken by the Lord.

"All of Claire's energy, all of it in one blast didn't even faze him." Erica gasped in horror, everyone still conscious sharing the growing fear at the impossible sight.

"You further prove two things to me." The Nameless King stated, walking out of the massive crater, stepping to the edge as his swordspear sparked. "One, it is a true shame that you refused to become an Archon. With that much power, the Exalted could've benefited from you immensely."

"Claire…" Artorian would groan out, struggling against his fatigue and attempting to push himself up, only to fall face first back into the dirt.

"And second, the Ascension is growing stronger in humanity." He'd continue on, patting his shoulder off to stop the smoke. "If your kind survive for ten more years, then perhaps the Exalted will have a greater use for all of you. I only wish you could be there to see it."

"Claire… move…" Artorian grunted again, spitting out blood as he fought against his body and pushed himself up by his left hand. "Damn it… body, move…"

"I… will not go down so easily!" Claire would announce, managing to charge a sphere of energy into her palm despite her growing weakness.

"You mistaken yourself, you've provided more of a push against me than anyone present could. You have my respect human." The Nameless King spoke, flicking his hand up and summoning a bolt of lightning down in front of Claire, the resulting explosion sending Claire skidding back and dissipating her energy. "But, this is the end."

"Claire no!" Erica shouted as she activated her thrusters to move forward, but was stopped as a bolt of lightning collided against her.

"You won't interrupt." Oristin stated, firing a second bolt at Liddy who blocked with her shield, the impact still stunning the Slayer and preventing her from moving.

"Liddy, Erica!" Claire would shout as she looked to the two, her momentary distraction preventing her from seeing the Nameless King's approach. When she turned back to the Lord, her eyes widened in shock, her body going stiff as the sound of metal piercing flesh was heard. Everyone's eyes then widened in horror as they witnessed the Lord impale Claire with his swordspear, the width of the blade going through a portion of her torso vertically.

"CLAIRE!" Erica screamed in horror, the only one forming a reaction as the Nameless King kept the blade pierced into the Slayer. Her variable suit was unable to prevent the weapon's blow for even a second, the material proving even sharper than the Savages own armor. And as she looked down in terror, she'd feel her own blood build up in her throat, before coughing it out in shock.

"Rest well, you shall be reborn when the Awakening commences." The Nameless King would say, pulling his swordspear out of Claire, the Slayer stumbling back into a tree as she became unfocused. Feeling the wound with her hands, she'd look in horror as they were covered in her own blood.

As she felt her senses begin to dim, she'd look over to Artorian, the Lord's eyes wide in dread as he witnessed everything happen. She'd move her lips, attempting to speak, but the words died in her throat as she struggled to even keep herself awake. Eventually, she'd collapse against the tree, falling into a sitting position as her head started to hang.

"Claire…" He'd mutter out, his eyes beginning to shake as he watched her.

"Claire, please no!" Erica screamed as she ran over to the blonde, no one stopping her as she got to her side. "Claire please, stay with us! I… I have medical supplies! Bio-foam can prevent further bleeding and-!" As the Slayer reached for her the dispenser of bio-foam, her hands would be shaking so much that she'd drop the canister.

She'd reach down and grab it, attempting to keep her hands as steady as she could, flipping the needle out and sticking it into Claire's open wound. A white foam would then begin to build up, clotting the blood while Erica attempted to keep Claire awake.

As she desperately did everything she could, Artorian would continue to watch as Claire remained motionless, her chest barely moving as her breathing slowed to a crawl. His eyes would remain wide open as his eyes shook more violently, his hand clawing into the dirt as he stared powerlessly at the scene.

 _"However, I believe in Noblesse Oblige."_

 _"Such as is our duty, protecting each other is also important."_

 _"Perhaps through working together, we can better understand each other and grow, developing more as Slayers and protectors."_

 _"That… that would sound nice."_

 _"_ … _Be careful."_

"Damn it… it's happening again." Clenching his fist into the dirt, Artorian's mind would begin to jump back to the day of the Second Attack. He was just as powerless, and as he was unable to even lift himself up, grief began to fill his mind, the hybrid closing his eyes as he began to shake. "Damn it… not again… not again!" He'd then slam his hand into the dirt, repeating it several times as his mind began to lose focus, opening his eyes to stare into the ground as a tear of blood came out from his eye, his eyes shaking sporadically as his senses were being lost.

A deathly chill went up Liddy's spine as Artorian raised his fist up again, the Slayer looking back in shock in time to see a familiar black mist escaping from Artorian's wounds. The mist came out much more concentrated then before, appearing like smoke the blood dropping from his eyes started to glow.

"DAMN IT!" Slamming his fist down hard, the ground around Artorian cracked, the earth shifting ads the mist continued to escape his body at an alarming rate, slowly building up around him.

"What?" The nameless King appeared shocked, turning to see Artorian wither in pain on the ground after slamming his fist down, one arm reaching out and digging his fingers into the ground while the other was clutched to his stomach. "That… that presence. He's… it's…!" His eyes would then widen in anger, appearing insulted and wronged as he looked to Artorian. "How dare he…!"

"Artorian…" Emilia would groan, pushing herself up to sit against the cliffside as she'd attempt to regain her strength. She stared in concern, seeing the mist escape him as he'd begin to moan in pain, the occasional growl escaping him as he felt himself disconnect from his senses.

 _'It… it doesn't matter how hard I try.'_ He'd think, seeing the images of the Kisaragis being buried underneath their home. _'No matter how hard I fight!'_ The images then turned to Hayato, the last memories of him being blasted by the Trenta. His eyes then closed as he remembered his father, seeing the life leave his eyes shortly after finding him after the attack.

"What's the point of this power!?" He'd scream in fury, the mist condensing and causing further damage to the ground underneath him. "What the fuck is the point if I can't fight when it's important!"

"Ato! Eliminate the Tainted! Now!" The Nameless king ordered, the Variant complying immediately and raising his greatsword up. When he'd swing it down, Artorian's eyes would open wide and he'd instantly rise to his knees, catching the blade in his palm as the mist concentrated to form around him.

"I'll…" Artorian's eyes would stare to Ato, the Variant witnessing as the hybrid's eyes transformed from blue to a glowing vibrant red. "I'll kill you all!" Screaming in rage, Artorian would stand up, rearing his free fist back before slamming it against Ato's gut, the Variant recoiling from the pain. The hybrid then twisted his body, sending a kick to Ato's head that connected and caused a shockwave of kinetic energy, sending Ato crashing across the entire field into a tree.

Planting his feet into the ground, Artorian would stare with wide eyes at Ato as the Scorned fell to his feet from the tree. Once the mist completely formed around him, Artorian would take off at incredible speed, half the Slayers barely following as he reared his fist back when he reached Ato.

Ato managed to react swiftly, ducking under Artorian as he slammed his fist forward, connecting to the tree and shattering the portion he directly hit, splitting the tree from its roots. Reaching out, Artorian would catch the tree and swing around, striking Ato with the trunk and sending him several meters back.

Ato flipped from the impact, but landed on his feet and slashed out in time as Artorian threw the tree at him. With a single cut, he cleaved the tree in two in time to witness Artorian grab his sword out from the ground and lunge forward, swinging it down as Ato returned with his own slash.

"To imagine a Tainted could possess the Blood of the Exalted, no greater sin has been done before now." The Nameless King would say through his teeth, watching as Ato and Artorian clashed blades. "How could this even be possible, the Tainted are supposed to have died out with Artorias Abyssal."

That last bit would get a shocked stare from Matthew, confusing him at the notion as the ringing of Artorian and Ato's clashing went out. _'He… didn't know about Artorian?'_ His eyes then looked over to Oristin, the Lord having his body turned to watch the fight with little reaction. _'How did he… why?'_

"Bastard!" Artorian bellowed in rage, his latest downward swing colliding with Ato's blade and causing an intense shockwave to go off. "I'll rip all you to shreds! I'll turn you into blood ribbons!" They'd then separate, running parallel to each other before stopping and lunging forward, this next strike causing the ground beneath them to crater in.

 _'This is… this is the Abyss.'_ Liddy thought in shock, seeing the crimson red glow in Artorian's eyes as he snarled like a wild animal. _'I thought it could only take control of him when he was unconscious, how is it in control now!?'_

As Artorian and Ato would continue to clash, the Scorned variant would notice that energy used to enhance his attack would be absorbed into the mist. He took it as a reason to limit the use to his blade, focusing it into his body to enhance his speed and strength. Immediately he'd parry one of Artorian's slashes and slam his free arm into the Abysswalker's chest, several loud cracks being heard as he was sent skidding back.

When Artroian stopped, he'd snap his head down to avoid Ato's follow up swing, only to get kicked straight to the face. Ato the swung his blade down, the hybrid blocking the attack but getting pushed back by the Scorned's enhanced abilities. As he stopped, he'd look up to see Ato lunge as his aura came to life, getting a predatorial grin from the Abysswalker.

Clashing with Ato's blade once more, the Abyss around Artorian would shoot out and collide with Ato's aura, the black mass moving with its own intention and ripping away at the energy.

"You're fighting the wrong way you bastard." Artorian stated, twisting his body and shoving Ato to the side before slashing out. Ato would block the attack, but would feel his energy waiver as the Abyss traveled the length of the hybrid's sword and struck at his aura. The force was much greater this time, getting him to step back before Artorian continued and slammed his fist into the side of Ato's face.

Pulsing the energy just stolen, Artorian would cause an explosion at his hand and blast Ato back. When the two landed back on the ground, Artorian looked up with deranged eyes while Ato's were narrowed in cold anger.

Artorian would crack his neck before raising his sword arm up, the two running right for each other and clashing their swords together. After the initial impact, Ato would flip over Artorian and kick his back, holding his sword across to block Artorian's attack as he turned. The Abysswalker then reached out and caught Ato's cloak, pulling him in and slamming the edge of his blade against Ato's side.

The Scorned's armor protected him, but once he landed on the ground Artorian would continue with a slug to his chest, the Abyss sending several more tendrils to strike across Ato's body. As he went through the final motions of his punch, the green energy would surround Artorian's arm before detonating, sending the two both flying back into a tree.

As Ato fell to the ground, the golden glow of his eyes would vanish, returning back to the human's natural red as he felt his energy deplete more.

 _'So that's why the Abyss is so dangerous to the Exalted.'_ Oristin put together, noticing Ato's loss in energy forcing him to deactivate his Variant Virus. _'Not only does it enhance someone to an ungodly degree, it absorbs and repurposes energy.'_

"Rahahahahahahaha!" Artorian would laugh as he pointed to the Scorned, seeing the loss in the virus' power as well. "Looks like someone's running low! Wouldn't happen to be getting tired would you!?" Seeing Ato stare up in determination, Artorian's grin would widen to reveal his teeth, the bones slowly sharpening as his body started to mutate. "Good, I want you swinging when I cleave you in two."

"Artorian, you need to stop!" Emilia shouted out. "Don't give in to it!"

"I can't protect anyone when I'm needed the most, so why not!?" Artorian screamed as he lunged forward, Ato holding his blade to his side at the ready.

"Artorian no!"

"Don't let it control you!"

Despite both Emilia and Liddy's shouting, Artorian's hearing was slowly going out. The hybrid was slowly being clouded by the Abyss as he'd swing down, Ato swinging horizontally to collide with Artorian's attack. With his Variant Virus deactivated, the Scorned wasn't able to match the Abysswalker's enhanced strength. However as his sword was knocked to the side Ato would lean back as far as he could, the tip of Artorian's blade grazing across his face and ripping apart the cloth and hood over his head.

"This is your end!" Artorian screamed in demented joy, the sight of Ato's blood exciting him as the Abyss began to condense around his right arm. As he prepared to swing forward, the bandaging that covered Ato's face would fall, Artorian's sword having cut through the wrappings fully.

When the cover had fallen, and Ato's hood fully split from the attack, Artorian's once enraged and twisted eyes would instead turn to one of shock, the red glow of his eyes wavering as he witnessed the Ato grip his sword readily. With his entire head visible, Artorian's whole world felt as if it was crashing down, recognizing the face of the dead.

Doubt filled his mind, but even with all of it at this distance it couldn't be ignored. Ato's eyes were a familiar sight, the combination of his spiked and messy black hair with the red eyes and tanned skin shocked Artorian to his core, his entire body locking up as he realized who was in front of him.

With the Abysswalker's inaction, the human would take advantage and swing upward diagonally. As the sword cut through Artorian's variable suit and into his skin, the Abyss would dissipate as control came back to him, his eyes returning to normal as the shock returned him to his senses.

Artorian by this point was unable to stop him, watching as Ato's sword slashed across his entire torso, continuing after. As the blade then finished cutting through, Ato would twist the blade before cutting straight up, cutting halfway across Artorian's forearm and dismembering him. The flare of pain jolted Artorian's senses into overdrive, the hybrid only now finding the strength to speak as he stared in horror.

"…Hayato…"

* * *

 **(A/N): Dun, dun, duuuuuuuun... cliffhanger.**

 **Oh man this chapter is surely... something. In fact this was supposed to be the end of the arc, but after getting past 6,000 words I realized there was no way that was happening. But oh boy do I get to end it on one hell of a cliffhanger thanks to it. Now if I have to say anything, as I don't want to say much as to avoid letting something out, it's that some things here was pre-planned for quite some time. And there's still a good chunk of that planning being put into the next chapter too.**

 **I technically didn't want to end this chapter here, but that gives me more room to work with the next chapter as well. So it'll be nice not having to feel limited after getting another decent fight chapter out, at least in my opinion as I felt good writing it. Well... mostly good. But aside from that, I don't want to speak much more as I fear in my infinite wisdom I'll sell something out, I'd rather see what everyone's thinking of this.**

 **As always I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you in the next one. Peace!**


	25. Struggle

"Do you know what repulses me the most about your existence?" The Nameless King would question, staring down in disgust as Artorian was thrown onto the ground in front of him by Hayato. The hybrid wasn't able to respond, as the Lord stomped his foot onto the side of his head, putting pressure down as he did. "The Taint is bad enough, but to claim the Exalted's blood, such perversion of their gifts is a sin beyond redemption."

"Shove your redemption… up your ass." Artorian grunted in pain as he winced, the combined pain from the stomp and injuries he suffered causing his focus to shift. The injuries from the Hunters alone were bad enough, but the loss of his hand and the subsequent blood loss was a serious problem. "You're just a cultist."

"I would tread carefully on your words, filth." The Nameless King stated, grinding his heel as lightning sparked across his body. "Your forces have been defeated and your death will come in moments."

As he made the claim, Oristin was finishing his remaining skirmish with Liddy, the Slayer being blasted back skidding on the ground by a bolt of lightning. With her down, none of the combat tier Slayers were still active, Emilia still struggling to regain her focus after Hayato's blow to her head. Claudia and the Hunters were still downed, and Erica was still desperately attempting to prevent further bleeding from Claire's wound.

"Fuck you… monster…"

"You are Tainted, and you claim that I'm the monster? Does irony escape you?"

"Just means I'm… better at calling them out…" Artorian coughed, digging his fingers into the dirt as he fruitlessly attempted to push against the Lord's foot. "Takes one to… pervert the dead…"

"Oh, you believe I'd allow just any Hollowed to be graced with the Exalted's blood?" The Nameless King chuckled, grinning as he looked to Hayato. "I take it you recognize Ato, which means you were near your bastard father during the Second Arrival. Quite a fine specimen he was." As the Lord continued, Artorian would turn his eyes to look up to Hayato, the human looking down to him in distaste.

"Despite his age and condition, the compatibility he had with the Exalted's blood was astonishing. The only one I've seen that could be considered better currently was your commander. A rather unfortunate loss."

"What the hell… does that mean?"

"Is it not obvious?" The Lord responded, looking back down to the Abysswalker. "Ah, I suppose it isn't to you. Tainted certainly never bother to fully grasp the Exalted's grace. All you need know is he retains most of his humanity, even after his first death. And you had abandoned him."

"Liar…"

"A denier of the truth I see, much like Artorias Abyssal no doubt." The Nameless King deduced. "Deny what you wish, you know it to be true."

"Shut up."

"A Hollow cannot produce energy, that alone serves a sign."

"Shut up!"

"I will not. You are defenseless. You are powerless. The last of you are defeated, your commander is slain, and the Akin are coming with me. And above it all, you will die here." The Lord claimed, raising his swordspear up, hovering the tip of the blade over his back. "The last of the Tainted will be slain here, in the presence of an Exalted."

"The last? Rather ill informed of you." Before the Nameless King moved his arm, a new voice spoke up, getting the Lord's attention to turn to the edge of the tree line. He saw no one present, however he could feel in his blood the source's presence. He could tell from the shift that the person was large, a Lord no question.

"And who else reveals themselves?"

"A correction to the mistakes of your father." The voice responded. "Murder, bloodshed, mutilation and manipulation. A rather telling sign of your blood ties. Like a… oh what's the human expression? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree?"

"Oristin, pulse." The Nameless King ordered, the Dragon Slayer raising his spear up with lightning building up at the blade.

"Oh, there's no need." Just before Oristin fired a blast, a nagamaki would swing seemingly out of nowhere and strike Oristin back, the Dragon Slayer planting his feet into the ground to stop himself. "Hiding is a rather pitiful tactic. I prefer to handle things more… direct. I'm sure you can understand that much." Stepping out of a physical shadow, Sir Alonne would walk into view holding his sword with one hand, appearing next to Erica and Claire despite the location of where he struck Oristin.

"And who might you be?"

"No one of importance, but someone of conflicting interest." Alonne answered, looking down to Claire as he rested the curve of his sword on his shoulder. "An attempt at taking a life without purpose, expected but rather unpleasant of you."

"The Exalted's will is the truest form of purpose, without their guidance we will all fall."

"Perhaps it's about time we did." Alonne countered before reaching in his back pouch, pulling out a glowing yellow gemstone. "You, bespectacled human." He'd speak to Erica, the girl looking to see him toss the gemstone onto the ground in front of her. "Put that in the blonde one's palm and force her hand to crush it."

"What are you-?"

"If you want her saved, you'll simply listen and do it." Alonne interrupted, stepping past the two and walking towards the Nameless King. "So tell me, Forgotten Sun, would you prefer your real name or is there something else you would prefer."

"I am a king with no name, no longer the Forgotten Sun." The Lord answered, keeping his foot on Artorian's head as Alonne approached. "And what shall I call you?"

"Sir Alonne."

"I do not recognize that name. Tell me Alonne, why come here?"

"I heard the Dark Sun would be present, along with several other Lords from Lordran. Although I wasn't expecting to find you here." Alonne would then look down, seeing Artorian pinned to the ground. "One of the rumored hybrids, I assume?"

"An abomination, Tainted."

"Such strong language, the Abyss is still feared to such a degree? I must say I'm disappointed." Alonne said, the smirk under his helmet heard as he motioned his foot back, gripping his nagamaki with both hands as he did. "Then with that in mind, I'll expect you to release the Abysswalker, Your Highness."

"You expect me to allow the Tainted to live? Few things threaten the Exalted, and I will not let such an ancient threat continue on any-!" Before the Nameless King could finish, he brought his swordspear up and blocked a downward slash from Alonne, the Lord having cleared the distance between the two in an instant.

"That wasn't a request." Moments after their blades connected, a shockwave of kinetic energy went off, the force pushing Hayato skidding back in the dirt while the Slayers shielded their eyes. Lightning then coursed around the Nameless King's weapon while a violet and black mist surrounded Alonne's nagamaki, the two's next clash causing a detonation of magic and energy.

The Nameless King jumped back short of the detonation, landing on his feet and aiming his weapon at the source of the explosion, firing a massive bolt of green lightning and increasing the pressure. Immediately after, the Lord dodged to the side as a slash of the mist came out of the resulting explosion, using his arm to parry Alonne's sword as he shot out of the dust.

"This presence, you can't be…" The Nameless King would take note of Alonne's magic, watching as the mist from the blade appeared around his entire body like an aura. "How are there more of you?"

"If you can't confirm with a body, never assume an Abysswalker's dead." Alonne stated, the two separating before slashing out, their next collision sending lightning and mist in every direction. Alonne would then stab forward, the Nameless King avoiding the tip of his blade and bringing his free arm up as lightning formed around it.

Flashing his eyes red, Alonne's mist would burst out and connect against the lightning infused punch, blasts of the elements being sent dragging across the ground past the Slayers. With the punch canceled, Alonne would swing up, with the Nameless King blocking and countering with his own attack. The eastern Lord rolled under the heavy strike, the ground where he stood shattering as he gripped his weapon with both hands and swung in a wide arc.

Just as the blade would connect, the Nameless King would bring his polearm up and block the slash, a chunk of his armor being cut through from the resulting force. Alonne would then step back and swing up again, countering a heavy blow from the Lord, his mist jolting into the ground to provide leverage as a dozen bolts of lightning were called down to aid in the blow.

Pushing the swordspear to the side, Alonne would then spin as the Nameless king attempted another lightning infused punch. The eastern Lord would then strike the end of his grip against his foes back, the Nameless king stepping forward for balance before bringing his elbow back for a devastating blow. Alonne would bring his blade up to block, but the raw energy and lightning impacted into his arm gave the Lord the advantage and sent Alonne several meters back.

Alonne managed to flip over his shoulder and land on his feet, digging his feet into the ground and gripping his sword tightly before swinging forward again, the resulting strike between the two causing a gust of wind to shoot out.

"Well, it appears you certainly inherit your father's strength." Alonne noted, pushing against the Nameless King's weapon as the intensity of his mist increased.

"My strength comes from the Exalted, not his blood." He responded, the contrast of their auras causing a power struggle that was tearing at the ground beneath them. "They gave me this strength, the strength to destroy abominations like yourself."

"It'll take more than a fancy light show in order to destroy me." Alonne would then plant and shift his feet, pushing the Nameless King's weapon over his head before dashing forward, slashing across the Nameless King's side and drawing blood. As he was going through the finished motions, the Nameless King would turn and slash across Alonne's back, a pulse of lightning causing a burst of blood to shoot out as they separated.

Alonne stumbled forward, a majority of his back blown apart by the Nameless King's magic. However he remained standing, getting into his proper posture as he then cracked his neck and held his blade to his face.

"Your blood's mutated to this extent?" Alonne spoke as he noted the bright green fluid across his blade. "Such extensive genetic rework, they were sure nothing short of obedience was coming from you."

"Says the spawn transformed to become an abomination." The Nameless King responded, pointing out Alonne's blackened blood as it freely escaped from his back. "I was improved, my mind remaining intact. The Abyss twisted you beyond recognition, turning you into a vessel of its desire."

"Well, you're right about one thing." Alonne would say, grinning under his helmet as his blood began to move rapidly. "I am a vessel of the Abyss' desire." Before everyone's eyes, Alonne's back would heal, the blood returning as the skin reshaped over the injury. His armor then reformed, the injury the Nameless King left vanishing without a trace. "Which allows me to shape and use it to my purpose."

* * *

"Artorian… Artorian…!"

 _'Who…?'_ He'd think half consciously before feeling a spike of pain on his face, his senses coming together as he was slapped.

"Ow! What the fuck was that for!?" He jolted into a sitting position, holding a hand to his cheek as the slap burned.

"That… actually worked." Liddy would say, caught off guard by his shout when he regained his focus.

"I have a cut across my collar bone, up most of my torso, and my fucking hand was cut off!" The hybrid shouted, motioning to her with the nub of an arm. "Of course a slap's gonna hurt, my nerves are already going crazy to compensate! Ah, the fuck was that for anyways?"

"I was making sure you were still alive." Liddy answered, moving to help Artorian up. "One of the Nameless King's attacks struck you, you didn't move since the fighting picked back up."

"Right… still in the middle of that…" Artorian groaned, the pain of getting lifted up numbing out as he got to his feet. "What the hell happened?"

"Another Lord showed up, I'll explain everything later but first we need to get you treated before you get attacked again."

"Might want to hold off on that." Artorian stated as he pointed to their side, the Slayers stopping as Oristin pointed his spear at the two, charging lightning as he did.

"Can you stand?" Liddy asked, looking to Artorian.

"Better, I can fight." He responded, but coughed as his chest flared in pain. "Fight enough… anyways."

"Save that strength to stay alive, Erica has medical supplies. Get to her and get the wounds completely closed, I'll hold him back." Liddy ordered, letting Artorian go as she stepped forward, throwing her variable stone to the side as she positioned herself between the Variants. "Hundred On!"

"I can keep up, I just need to get my sword and-ngh! Just give me a second and I can…"

"Artorian, you're too injured for this. You won't last in a drawn-out fight, especially without your Hundred."

"I'm not letting you fight him… I can handle it."

"You're struggling to stand and your energy is too low. I'll handle him, get to Erica now."

"Damn it, I'm not leaving you to fight by yourself, you already lost to him."

"But I can keep fighting, now move!" Liddy shouted, rushing forward to clash with the Lord.

"Liddy you stupid bi-!" Before he could finish, Artorian's eyes widened and he jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding Hayato as he slammed his sword down.

The hybrid's evasion was effective, but due to his injured state, he lost his footing and fell back down, grunting in pain as Hayato looked up from his attack. As the two's eyes met, the human's slowly shifted to turn gold, his energy returning after the short skirmish they had before.

"Hayato, you have to listen to me. This isn't like you!" Artorian spoke, pushing himself back as Hayato moved forward and slashed at him, narrowly missing him as he did. "You'd never side with Him! They did something to you, fight it!" The hybrid then picked up a rock from the ground and threw it up, knocking Hayato's blade to the side as he swung down, narrowly missing Artorian.

"Damn it Hayato! Listen to me!" Artorian screamed, rolling to the side as the Variant dug his sword through the ground, his attack grazing Artorian's back as the hybrid stopped himself. "What the hell did they do to you!?"

"…" Hayato remained silent as he looked to Artorian, the human stepping towards him as his eyes glowed brightly. "Abandoned… left… sacrificed…" Hayato would groan out, the words causing Artorian to freeze. "You… did this…"

"Hayato I… I didn't… damn it I had to protect Karen! I had to save who I could, you shouldn't have been able to survive that blast!"

"I… did…" Hayato stated, raising his blade up as he glared intensely at the hybrid. "You… won't…"

As Hayato was about to swing down, a beam of energy collided against his sword to stall his attack. As he would turn to the source, he was kicked in the side of the head by Emilia, her eyes glowing bright gold while her Arms Shroud was in the form of a martial arts type Hundred. A pulse of her energy went off at the greave before she pushed her leg out more, enhancing her attack and sending Hayato crashing into a tree.

Flipping onto her feet, Emilia would shift her right leg back behind her to give her better leverage, concentrating her energy to her limbs as she stood in a readied stance.

"You want him, you have to go through me." The white-haired girl stated, her strength mostly restored after giving herself the time to recover.

Getting up, Hayato would wipe his wrist across his face, cleaning the blood and mud off him as he looked back to Emilia. Both their eyes glowed bright with intent, the girl's narrowed in determination while the boy's was wide with rage.

"Emile don't… last time you-"

"Last time you weren't on death's door." Emilia stated, her energy spiking as she allowed the heat from the Variant Virus fester more in her. "Prez gave her all to win, and I'll do the same."

"Emilia…"

"I owe it to her, just as I do to you." Emilia would then lower her posture to place her hands on the ground, digging her fingering into the dirt as her energy built up more, doubling in size. "He's gotten tired, his energy isn't flaring nearly as much as it was before. If I can get a good hit in, it may keep him down for good."

"You can't guarantee that."

"Maybe, but I can sure as hell try!" Emilia shouted, her energy exploding out as she pushed herself forward. Hayato immediately ducked as she lunged forward, dodging her enhanced kick. He'd spin and swing up at her, but the Slayer would parry the blade with her gauntlet and land on the ground, the dirt kicking up as she reared her fist back.

The Scorned would return the punch of one of his own, energy coating his entire arm as their fists collided. He would visibly flinch at the impact, but would ignore it as he brought his sword around. Emilia would pull her arm back and block the swing with both gauntlets. The force behind Hayato's swing cracked her armor and had her skid several feet back.

Transforming her Arms Shroud, Emilia would slam a massive hammer down to stop herself. Rushing forward, the Slayer would swing down with energy building up in the blunt end, slamming the ground as Hayato dodged. As the Scorned aimed to strike at her, the energy exploded and separated the two, Hayato rolling on the ground for a second before getting back to his feet and rushing at her.

Emilia's gaze would harden as she watched him approach, blocking his swing with her polearm once he reached her. She'd then infuse her energy into the weapon and pushed him back, transforming the hammer into a set of nunchucks. Seeing the transformation, Hayato would aim to swing at her center, the Slayer narrowly avoiding the attack and swinging one of her weapons, striking his head with a pulse of energy enhancing her.

Spinning her weapons rapidly, Emilia used the speed and momentum in order to better counter Hayato's increasing strength and speed. After blocking several hits, she'd swing up with all her strength, blocking and knocking Hayato's sword up. She then empowered both her arms with energy, her eyes glowing bright before she struck at Hayato's body with a multitude of attacks.

Energy was visibly cracking around the two, the two Variants releasing more as they continued to fight. Eventually, Hayato's composure would return and he'd swing down, Emilia dodging the attack and attempting to strike at him with both her nunchucks. However Hayato immediately followed up the attack with a swift punch, striking the Slayer's stomach and sending her skidding back.

Emilia winced as she took the blow, the strength h used not near the same he used before but was still undoubtably above what she could release. Looking up to the Scorned, she'd see the dark glow to his eyes, the gold appearing stained with a dark intent that embraced the frenzy that came from the virus.

 _'I can't win an endurance battle against him.'_ Emilia thought, throwing her weapon to the side as her Hundred returned to its original state. She'd then hold her hands ahead of her as a new weapon began to form, wrapping her hands around the hilt. _'But I don't need to win, I just have to get him out of the fight!'_

Flashing her energy, a greatsword similar to Artorian's Hundred was formed, and the girl would take a wide stance with both her hands on the grip. Energy would flood across her blade, the Slayer focusing her power across every inch of metal as she glared heatedly at Hayato.

The Scorned would simply take up his own stance, coursing his own energy into his sword as he held it with a single hand. The two's glares would brighten as the golden glows in their eyes matched, each shifting their right foot back as they prepared to move forward.

 _'That stance…'_ Artorian would realize, recognizing his own posture being reflected by Emilia.

The two Variants would then burst their energy out like a storm and lunged towards each other, Emilia stopping first as she brought her greatsword up. Hayato would aim lower, his feet digging into the ground as he would swing up to match her downwards slash. The moment the two's blades collided, their energy sparked violently, their energy causing a white blur to form.

The impact between the two caused both of them to recoil, however both planted a foot back to regain their balance and swing forward again. As Emilia swung, her blade would strike near the same position as it had before, the Slayer attempting to replicate Artorian's Savage killing technique. Although due to her inexperience, she wasn't able to properly time it to completely destroy Hayato's sword.

However, the spot she had struck was a match, and with the added impulse from the vibrations, her sword dug in a caused a burst of energy, blasting a chunk of the Savage metal out. Seeing his weapon break, Hayato would pull it back and jump back, avoiding Emilia's next swing. Grinding his feet to a halt, the Scorned would look to his weapon in irritation, looking back to Emilia as she swiped her sword to the side, transforming her Hundred back to its hammer form.

"Even though it's refined, its still made of Savage plating." Emilia took note of, smirking as she regarded the enemy Variant. "Which means it can be broken. And since it isn't a Hundred, you can't recover it with your energy." A low growl would escape from Hayato's throat, the Variant bending down as he held his sword back. "It'll completely shatter if you connect with my Hundred now. Really want to test your odds against me without one?"

Cracking his neck, Hayato's eyes would shine as his aura exploded in a flash. Using it as a flash bang, the Scorned would lunge out, rearing his weapon with both hands as Emilia was reeling back from the intense light. Her eyes would open just in time to see Hayato in front of her, his eyes wide as he was in the midst of his swing.

The white-haired Slayer would prep her weapon, releasing energy out from the back in hopes of being able to deflect the attack. However the Scorned variant's advantage of momentum had it that his weapon would hit first, forcing Emilia to release her energy in hopes of blocking the attack.

But just before it would connect, a beam of green energy would pierce through the blade, striking at the weakened side of the sword. Focusing on the situation, Emilia would then follow through with her own attack, striking in the chest with her enhanced blow. The Variant would cough out blood from the strike before getting sent crashing back, his body bouncing off the ground twice before he skidded to a halt on his back.

Now with the immediate threat out of the way, Emilia and Artorian both would turn to the source of the beam, their eyes widening as they saw a red blur head straight for Oristin. The Dragon Slayer was about to strike at Liddy before the blur connected against his chest, the Slayer that appeared grinding their feet in before pulsing a wave of energy, sending him skidding several meters onto a single knee.

When the Slayer landed, they would crouch for a second before standing up, six crimson red cannons flying around her as she glared heatedly at Oristin. The familiar sight of red mixed with green energy brought reactions of relief and surprise to the Slayers still standing.

"Claire!"

"You've hurt my comrades enough. I refuse to let you lay a finger on a single one of them." The blonde would announce, stomping a foot into the ground as her Full-Body Armament reactivated. A single look at the blonde revealed a linear scar underneath her variable suit, the red mark the remnant of her wound from the Nameless King.

 _'C-Claire? She's…'_ Artorian would think, looking to the blonde in shock before his eyes widened in realization. _'The Lord that appeared, he said his name was Sir Alonne. The stone he gave her must have been a lifegem, which means…'_ His attention would then turn to the Lord in question, watching as he traded a blow with the Nameless King that cleaved his own arm off.

The Nameless King would then bring his spear up again, slashing across the entirety of Alonne's chest before spinning on his heel, holding his swordspear to his side as he decapitated the Lord. An explosion of lightning then went off at his chest, sending the disarmed corpse back.

Before it fell however, Alonne's right foot would shift back, the body catching itself as it swung forward. The Nameless King would bring his weapon behind him, blocking the attack as the mist surrounding Alonne erupted from Alonne's dismembered segments. Only a second would go by before his head and arm reshaped, his helmet returning with his head while his gauntlet took an extra second to form.

"Sir Alonne: The Immortal Abysswalker." Artorian would mutter out, a look of fear present on his face as the Lords remained in their locked stance.

* * *

 _'Why did it have to be these two?'_ He would think, swallowing spit down his throat as he looked back to the others, seeing them battle against Oristin all together. While they were gaining traction and pushing him back, the elder Lord was far from out matched, landing a solid blow on both Liddy and Emilia before blocking a series of blasts from Claire with his spear.

Despite her previous injury, Claire was moving flawlessly, using her thrusters to rapidly approach Oristin and kick out with both her legs. The Lord would block with his forearm, lightning surrounding the limb as he enhanced his limb to better handle her momentum. Releasing a pulse of energy, the Slayer would flip over her shoulder and plant her feet into the ground, holding her hands out and firing all six of her cannons at once.

Keeping his lightning up, Oristin would swipe his arm down and fire a bolt across the ground, canceling out her energy and rushing towards her. Claire easily dodged to the side, firing three more beams at him. Oristin would rear his arm back for another lightning strike, but was interrupted as Everlasting's claw grabbed him from the back of his neck, the sudden grab putting him off balance and getting struck by the energy attacks.

The claw would then tighten its clasp on the Lord, nearly denting the armor and getting his attention. _'She's attempting to strangle me?'_ He'd think in amusement, smiling under his helmet as his lightning formed around his body. _'A conviction to kill for the sake of victory, perhaps there's a chance after all.'_ Oristin's lightning would then explode in every direction, dispersing the Slayers and freeing his neck from Erica's Hundred.

As the battles continued to rage on, Artorian would look over to Hayato, the Variant struggling to push himself up, but the strain would cause him to cough out more blood. The sight brought panic to his eyes, the hybrid struggling against his own pain to stand up on his feet. Walking slowly, he would make his way to his old friend.

Hayato would see Artorian's approach and a panic would form in his eyes, the human reaching for his broken weapon desperately. His survival instincts had now kicked in, and seeing the hybrid, bloodied and strained, walking towards him caused a fight or flight response. But both options were out of the question, the blow from Emilia having rattled his entire body and damaged him without a chance to block.

"Hayato…" Artorian would groan, pausing in the midst of his approach to cough, two drops of black blood escaping his lips as he felt a cold presence sliver in his throat. "What happened…? How did they… how are you still alive?"

"Because… you…"

"It wasn't my fault! What did they do to you!?"

"Better… than…"

"Don't bullshit me!" Artorian shouted, falling down to a knee in front of Hayato and grabbing his armor, pulling him up to look him dead in the eyes, the hybrid's slowly turning red as he felt his body tighten. "What the fuck did they do to you!?"

"We made him one of our own." Artorian's eyes would widen in shock at hearing a new voice, the Abyss shooting out as a violent mist to block an incoming greataxe from his side. However the entity was only just able to prevent another injury, as the brunt force from the axe sent Artorian crashing several meters back.

At the sound of yet another source of lightning crackle to life, the Slayers fighting would turn to see a Lord clad in hulking armor raise a large greataxe over his head. An intense bolt of lightning struck the weapon, coursing around it as Artorian struggled to his knees.

Turning on her heel, Liddy would lunge forward with energy enhancing her movements, bringing her shield up to block the downward swing just before it would strike the hybrid. However her shield was destroyed instantly, the axe cutting through her defenses and cutting deep into her arm. The following force pushed the Slayer back into the hybrid, the two skidding back before the hybrid's back hit a rock, causing the two to separate and land opposite sides from one another.

"Liddy! Artorian!" Emilia shouted.

"Damn, the bug got in the way." The armored Lord ticked, standing up straight as he regarded the Slayers. "I suppose even an insect can move quick enough if the scraps are worth it."

"Another one?" Claire spoke in concern, looking to the newest arrival.

"Sidero, you're late." The Nameless King would state, blocking Alonne's latest strike and blasting him with a bolt of lightning, separating them.

"Sorry boss, been dealing with a thorn while gathering the shards." The armored Lord stated, gripping onto his greataxe with both hands as lightning cracked around it. "Think the last hit kept it down though, shouldn't be getting up after what I did to it."

"Curious, something in these woods giving you trouble?" Alonne would speak, his posture calm as he turned to the Lord. "And I assumed your liege would only accept the strongest. All that's in here is wolves and a few human predators."

"Then you're just as in the dark as the rest of the Lords." Sidero answered. The armored Lord would then look back down to Liddy and Artorian, the former managing to push herself back up to her feet. Her arm was bleeding, a wide cut going from her shoulder to her hand. "Still getting up, what a show."

"You Lords really like… looking down on humans." Liddy winced, the blood coming from her injury clotting up already to prevent further blood loss.

"You're small and feeble, it's easy to."

"Sidero, have you gathered everything you were meant to?' The Nameless king questioned.

"Yes my liege, all of the fragments from the Exalted killed by the Lords' lightning." Sidero answered, a pouch on his waist filled with the glowing fragments of Savage cores. The same that Alonne had destroyed.

"I see, I was played." Alonne concluded.

"Made the job easier for me, but the mutt made it a challenge."

"Mutt?"

"You truly don't know about it? Then who left it?"

 _'They're talking about the Great Wolf.'_ Artorian realized, grunting in pain as he shifted into a sitting position.

"Irrelevant, our main objective here is complete." The Nameless King would say, pulling out a carved soapstone, a vibrant green glow originating at the center. "Sidero, collect Ato."

"My liege, what of Matthew?' Oristin would ask, turning to his master.

"Leave him, he is a risk to our cause. He is tainted by the belief of false idols and worthless gods. He will share the same fate as all those who would stand against us."

"I understand… my liege."

"You're… a disgrace." Matthew grunted, managing to recover enough strength to get up onto a knee, holding onto his right shoulder as it spiked in pain.

"You're right." Oristin admitted, pulling out a similar soapstone to the Nameless King. "But a disgrace to damnation is a beacon for salvation."

"Alright you whelp, time to leave." Sidero stated, grabbing onto the back of Hayato's armor and lifting him up, sheathing his weapon behind his back to pull out his own soapstone.

"You're not going anywhere!" In a burst of strength, Artorian would rise to his feet, catching the Slayers off guard at the second wind. However before he could get far, Liddy tackled him from behind, dropping down on him and holding him down as he struggled to move. "Damn it, get off me!"

"You're too injured Artorian! You won't be able to get close to him!"

"I don't give a fuck! Get the fuck off me right now!" Artorian bellowed, thrashing in Liddy's hold as he clawed at the ground towards Hayato. "Damn it! Let me go! They're taking him!"

"We'll regroup! They can't run forever and we'll beat them next time!" Liddy argued, struggling but managing to keep the weakened Lord down.

"A falsehood." The Nameless King stated, the soapstone glowing brighter as his body began to turn translucent. "You will not live past the night. The Exalted will dispose of you and take the Akin as fuel to further develop itself. This will be the last time you see of us."

"Bastard! Let! Him! GO!" Artorian's struggles became more desperate, the Nameless King and Oristin disappearing from view while Sidero and Hayato became translucent themselves. "Don't take him! Hayato! HAYATO!"

As the hybrid screamed out to Hayato one last time, the human's eyes would look down to him, the golden glow returning to the crimson red he was born with. As a final flash of magic shrouded the two, Artorian's struggles all but ceased, the Abysswalker watching helplessly as they vanished.

"No… FUCK!" He'd shout, slamming his head into the ground and causing cracks to form. He'd feel a trickle of blood go down his forehead, but ignored it to grind his forehead more into the solid ground.

 _'Hayato?'_ Liddy would think, recalling the name from somewhere. Slowly, she'd get off the hybrid, still digging his head into the dirt as he hid his face from everyone else.

"They… just disappeared?" Erica muttered, shock in her face as she witnessed the Lords vanish without a trace. She had known that Lords were shrouded in mystery, but to teleport instantly with the aid of a stone seemed impossible to her.

"We'll encounter them again at some point. For now we need to focus on the injured." Claire stated, checking her collar and seeing a blue flash to inform she was getting a signal. "I'm going to get in contact with the basecamp. Until then we need to gather up the wounded again and keep an eye on the Hunters."

"Artorian?" Emilia would speak up to the boy, both her and Liddy kneeling next to him as he kept himself planted to the ground.

"Go check on the others…" He would speak up, not looking up as he did. "I just… I need a minute."

"We still need to treat your injuries, they're still fresh and your movements going to make them worse." Liddy stated, her and Emilia helping Artorian into a sitting position. "It'd be a problem if you get an infection, so we need to patch you up."

"If I were you, I wouldn't be letting my guard down just yet." Alonne would speak up, sheathing his nagamaki behind him as he looked to the group. "The Nameless King stated the Exalted would expose of you. Which means there's Savage nearby."

"I will deal with any that come close, it'll take more than a few to take us out." Claire informed, keeping a narrowed glare at the Lord. "Who are you really, and what is your purpose here?"

"Everything I said before is true. Lying is a coward's tactic. And I stand by what I said." Alonne said, turning to the lake as he pointed out. "Surely you wouldn't assume he would leave simple Savage to kill you. Or to consume your… Variants? That would be a waste that would only spawn a Trenta at best."

"What are you talking about?"

"They can sense it, ask them."

"They?" Claire muttered, turning to see both Matthew and Artorian's eyes widen as they stared out to the lake.

"Oh… shit." Matthew whispered, seeing a vibrant glow of fluorescent energy building up at the center of the lake. The energy then began to expand, the water starting to boil hot before a pulse of the green power shot out. Next a massive figure flew out of the lake, boiling water getting sent all across the forest as the figure spread out thin membrane wings.

The figure's blackened structure would then slowly begin to glow green, the energy moving throughout the body forming the same markings as a regular Savage. The wings would then glow the same green color, and as its eyes would open up the beast would roar into the sky, its neck extending out as Savage fluid and water escaped from its open mouth.

"Oh give me a fucking break…" Artorian groaned.

"A Dragonfly Savage!"

"Attention all Slayer companies! This is Claire Harvey of Team D, everyone still active respond!" Claire would immediately go to her comms, attempting to get in contact with everyone possible.

 _"Team H reporting!"_

 _"Team Q reporting in ma'am!"_

 _"This is Team K, we're down two but we're in connection!"_

 _"Team Z is active, awaiting orders!"_

 _"This is Team X, we are with Teams V, J and R. Most are wounded, but we still have active Slayers!"_

 _'Only eight teams reporting in?'_ Claire would think in concern. She knew that the Hunters had most likely attacked other groups, but to imagine they managed to injure so many so quickly was concerning.

 _"Ma'am, the Savage signature that's appeared, is it really a Dragonfly!?"_

 _"Yes, but do not panic. All teams, I need a account of all long-range Hundred users in your squads! We need to hit this thing hard and fast!"_

 _"We have one Long Shooter type ma'am. He's already lining his shot and awaiting further instruction!"_

 _"Our Dragoon type is low on energy, but with our rations we can get her back up to full power in a second!"_

 _"Both our range combatants are down, sorry ma'am but we're unable to assist."_

 _"We have a Dragoon and Long Shooter ready, they're charging energy now!"_

 _"We have three ranged Slayers at the ready, we'll shoot that thing down the moment you give the signal."_

"Okay, everyone charge your energy, once you're at full power wait for my signal and we'll blow it out of the sky."

"Claire wait." Matthew warned, groaning as he'd push himself to his feet, leaning against a tree to give himself balance. "We don't have enough firepower to destroy its N-Barrier, if you shoot with a handful of ranged attacks it'll just piss it off. You don't have the energy to use your full power either, you can't make up for the lack of numbers."

"We have to do something Matthew. If we don't shoot it down now we're going to-"

"It isn't moving." Artorian noted, confusing the Slayers and getting a nod from Matthew. Taking a second look, all of the Slayers present would see that the Savage was just hovering in place, the markings slowly forming as the energy continued to build up. "Erica… how old is this lake?"

"Fifteen years, it was formed when debris from the Savage's meteor when it broke up in atmosphere… but that couldn't possibly be it. They would've found it by now."

"Unless it crashed with enough force to break through into the magma pool below, the resulting force and release of water sealing it in a bed of obsidian." Artorian said, recalling Claire mentioning the magma bed underneath.

"The material and magma underneath would hide the energy, and the intense heat would force it to hibernate." Matthew added on, looking to the Abysswalker. "So that means it's still waking up. Its defenses are weak…"

"Which means we can kill it before it becomes a problem." Claire concluded. "Then we have a small window of opportunity to destroy it. Then we'll have to move as quick as we can blast it with everything we can."

"Hold up…" Artorian interrupted, reaching for Emilia's shoulder with his hand and pulling himself up. "Energy can break the barrier, but what are you going to do about the core? Do you think anyone will have the energy to break it once the barrier's down?"

"We have other Slayers, we can still do this."

"But how many can get up there? You think it's going to fly down and see what's going on so we can get?" Artorian questioned.

"What are you saying Artorian?"

"Only one person can get up there and has the weapon made to kill things like this." The hybrid would say, looking to his side to see his sword laying on the ground, everyone's gaze following his to the weapon.

"Absolutely not!" Claire interjected. "You are too injured! Even if you somehow managed to draw enough energy to make that jump, one wrong move and you're dead!"

"One wrong move and we're all dead!"

"You can't possibly think you can do that, you have one hand and almost no energy! Even as a Variant you're too limited to do this!"

"This is what I was born to do! Like hell a missing hand will stop me!"

"Artorian, you can't actually think of doing that, can you?' Emilia asked, grabbing his arm to stop him. "You don't have the strength. You're too hurt."

"It doesn't matter if I have the strength now, I'll find it." He said, shaking his arm free and walking towards his sword, grabbing it and standing up. "I can kill it if I get close, but…"

"We still don't know if the barrier will break." Matthew finished. "Claire's our ace, but she doesn't have half her energy. Even if Emile uses his Variant abilities to amplify his Hundred, it might not be enough to break through it even with the extra support."

"Maybe… but I have a few ideas." Artorian would then look to the side, seeing Nesat sit up Krovanh and Nakri in cover, the two Hunters unconscious from Hayato's attack. "Oi, Eyepatch?"

"Yes?" Nesat would respond, turning to the Slayer.

"Your Hundred, it's like an Innocence type right?" He would question, motioning to his eye corresponding to her covered eye. She would nod, getting an affirmative nod from him. "Good, good. Then you can copy Claire's Dragoon type and add your own energy into this."

"You're trusting a Hunter?" Erica questioned.

"Beggars can't be choosers, and I don't assume she'll want her family to get eaten by that thing." He noted, the Hunter nodding as she looked to Claire's Alystherion before copying it, activating the Buster Cannon immediately.

 _'That's almost enough energy, but there's still that unknown gap.'_ Artorian would think racking his head as he attempted to think up a plan.

"We don't have much time Artorian, do you have a final plan or not?" Matthew questioned.

 _'Damn it, if she had just a bit more energy Claire could easily close this gap of power needed. If she didn't take the Nameless King's bait then we'd have this in the bag.'_ The Abysswalker thought, clenching his teeth as he tried to think of an idea. _'Damn it, why didn't we bring any of those stupid cookies! Then Claire would get enough energy and…'_

Artorian's eyes would then widen in realization, his stare turning to Claire as she looked to him. "Fuck… that might work."

"What might work?"

"I'll explain in a second, but I need to borrow your neck for a second Claire." Artorian said, walking next to the girl and impaling his sword into the ground.

"E-Excuse you!?" The blonde would stutter, taking a step back before he tapped on her collar.

"Liu, can you hear me?"

 _'O-Oh, he meant… that.'_

" _Artorian! Finally we have a signal, what's your-"_

"Later Liu! I need a link to Little garden, get me connected to Dr. Dimandias now!"

 _"O-Okay! Sorry just… just give me a second!"_ The girl would stutter, caught off guard by the tone in Artorian's voice.

 _"Artorian, good you've called. The disturbance blocking my data just went away and I see everything."_ Charlotte spoke, the sound of her feet clanking against the metal floor audible through the speaker. _"Is the Dragonfly still powering up?"_

"Yes, but that won't last for much longer. Look, we don't have a lot of time, I called you because I need a question answered."

 _"Shoot."_

"You and Emile said the Variant Virus is used to tame an active strain, by transferring the calmed strain into the active one's host? Does this transfer energy as well?"

 _"Of course, the process to tame the virus requires energy from a Variant."_

"What about people without the Variant Virus? Can a Variant transfer energy to them?"

 _"Theoretically, there's too few Variants to confirm any kind of testing like that. What's your plan?"_

"I don't have much energy left, but I do have the Variant Virus. If I transfer my strain into Claire, would that give her energy that I can't consciously tap in to?"

"Wait what?" Both Claire and Emilia would voice out, caught off guard by the concept.

 _"Hmmmm… that may work actually. The virus itself carries potent energy, simply transferring it may provide the energy to give her a boost. But it may have a chance of transforming her into a Variant."_

"Number?"

 _"On a hunch? I'd give it a 70% chance."_

"Fuck… thanks Charlotte."

 _"You hear me; you kill this thing. And don't die doing it."_ Charlotte would order, getting a small chuckle from the Abysswalker.

"You got it." The connection would then cut, Artorian looking to Claire as he did. "I'm guessing you have an idea of what I'm going to ask next?"

"You want to transfer the virus to me? How would that even work?"

"Well, technically we have two that can be done now. The third would require the variable suits to come off so there isn't time for that. Way One, the gross way, is you drink some of my blood and hope the virus can spread between blood and saliva enough."

"Do I dare ask what Way Two is?"

"Oh come on!" Emilia would cry out, confusing the group as she realized what was happening. "That isn't fair!"

"Well Emile knows…" Matthew rolled his eyes, annoyed by the girl's outburst.

"Way Two, the enjoyable way, you and I have some fun and have a quick make out."

"W-What!? You must be joking!" Claire would accuse, taking a step back as her face would blush red.

"I would never… okay so I do a lot. But this is a bit too serious a moment to joke on that." Artorian said, his gaze turning to the Savage in the sky. "In all honesty, I would do any other option I could. But transferring you my virus to give you a boost in energy is the only plan I can think of. And with the chances of you turning into a Variant… well it isn't an option I'm giving lightly."

"B-But are you even sure it will transfer the energy needed?"

"Oh I'm certain you'll get the energy. But as Charlotte guessed, there's a good chance you'll also become a Variant." He responded, seeing her embarrassed expression as she looked away. "Look, I'm giving you the best option I can think of. If he was able to stand on his own, I'd give Matthew the option as well. But as it stands, you're the only ranged fighter that can benefit from the power up. But with the risks along with it, I can't do it unless you want me to."

"I-Is there really no other way?" Emilia would ask.

"You could always kiss her Emile." Artorian would say, smirking to her as he motioned to the blonde. "Transfer your strain, and then I can transfer to you and get you back to full power. Either way, it's a win in my book."

Emilia would then look between Artorian and Claire, the two girls sharing a stare. They would both flinch at the action, feeling caught in a situation that put them in uncomfortable positions. After a few seconds Emilia would close her eyes, relenting as she spoke up.

"Oh fine! Just get it over with!"

"Well, he's given the clear." Artorian would say, turning back to Claire. "What about you?"

"This is our best chance?" The blonde asked, getting a confirming nod from the hybrid, not an ounce of doubt on him. "Then… I trust your judgment."

"Thank you Claire." He'd say, his expression turning somber as he saw her conflicted face. "Hey, I know this isn't quite how you wanted your first kiss to go. I'm sorry if this makes the third "first" I've taken."

"No I… understand. Our duty comes first, no matter what."

"See, that Noblesse Oblige shit still pisses me off. Be a little selfish every once in a while." Artorian would say, gently cupping her chin with his finger and thumb to turn her face to his. "And let me finish woman, fuck you take the job seriously." He'd say, smiling to her. "We won't count this, since it'd be unfair for you to give out your first kiss purely to survive."

"I… thank you."

"But…" He'd say, lowering his face down to hover his lips over hers. "I still fully intend on stealing that first kiss. So don't be eager to give it out before then." The statement and proximity of the hybrid kept the blonde's body stiff, her cheeks turning redder as she braced herself.

Seeing her stillness, Artorian would take the initiative a connect their lips, the girl flinching at the initial contact. Knowing they didn't have time to waist, he would forgo the pleasantries and slip his tongue between her lips. Claire's body would remain tense as she closed her eyes, her face flaring even redder as she felt his tongue explore her mouth.

 _'This… this is…'_ She would think in embarrassment, her body growing more tense as he continued. But after a few seconds, she'd feel Artorian's hand move from her chin to her shoulder, the comforting expression getting her to relax slowly. Slowly, she'd feel a strange heat begin to build up, and with it her body would slowly relax. And eventually the blonde would begin to return the kiss, her tongue moving hesitantly to match Artorian's.

 _'This heat is… it feels like I'm burning up.'_ Claire thought as they made out, her embarrassment fading away as the heat built up in her. _'But it doesn't feel bad… and the coolness from feels comforting.'_ Cracking her eyes open, Claire would stare into Artorian's eyes as the Variant's eyes turned golden, signaling his virus was activating as he transferred her his energy.

After thirty seconds, the two would separate from the kiss, the girl panting as she felt her body still heated. She would need a few seconds to cool down, getting control of her breathing before looking back up to the hybrid.

"So, feeling ready?" He'd ask with a confident smirk, the two stepping back from each other.

Claire would tighten and loosen her hands several times, feeling the heat remain present in her body. The heat was accompanied by a surplus of energy, the Slayer's conduits glowing brighter than normal as she felt the power pulse through her. Tightening her hands one last time, her energy would flash before her cannons transformed into her Buster Cannon.

"We'll take it down in one move. Everyone charge your energy and prepare to hit it with everything you have." Claire would order, getting acknowledgements across the communication.

* * *

Once Claire had been charged, Emilia would transform her Hundred into her own Buster Cannon, her eyes turning gold as she would take aim at the Savage above. All three ranged Slayers energy would begin to build up, the raw presence shaking the ground subtly as it continued to grow. The energy from the surrounding Slayers would become visible as well, all aiming and charging all the energy they had in order to prepare for the attack on the Dragonfly.

"Looks like I'll have to follow with the light show." Artorian grinned, grabbing his sword and ripping it from the ground. Getting into a crouched position, he would feel the muscles in his legs burn, but he would force himself to remain firm as he stared up heatedly at the Savage, seeing its energy slowly build up. "On your mark Boss-in-Blonde."

"Are you sure about this Artorian?" Liddy would ask, the hybrid not turning at her question.

"I'm the only one that can make that jump. The only one still standing anyways." He answered, referencing Matthew. "My body can handle this, I was born for this kind of punishment."

"That doesn't mean you should have to go through it."

"How about this Liddy, if you feel so bad then you can catch me when I collapse." He'd say, giving a chuckle as he did.

"Are you ready Artorian?" Claire questioned. "We'll only have one shot, if you can't make this then-"

"I'll make it." He stated. "Just get that barrier down and I'll destroy the core."

"Very well." Claire nodded, looking back up to the Savage and focusing her energy. "On my mark. Three… Two….." As she counted down, the Dragonfly would visibly show signs of consciousness, its insect arms twitching as the core began to shine brighter. "One! Everyone open fire!"

Upon her order, every Slayer fired a beam of energy at the Savage. Before the beams could even come close to the beast, they struck at the N-Barrier, pushing against it from different angles to prevent it from focusing to a point. As the attack pushed at it, the Savage visibly woken to its full status, a piercing roar going off as it registered the attack on it.

"It's aware!" Matthew shouted. "It's now or never! Hit it with everything you have, now!"

"On it!" Emilia responded, her and Nesat's eyes glowing bright as they activated their viruses. The increase in energy concentration would double the size of their attacks, matching Claire's as she narrowed her eyes in determination.

As the Slayer dug her feet into the ground, she would feel the heat begin to intensify, her determination shifting to anger as her energy pulsed for a second. She would then grind her teeth together, pushing more and more of her energy into the attack, feeling her power reaching its max as she kept going. She felt the power not being enough, and in a last-ditch effort she forced whatever energy she could scrap from her body into her Hundred, the action causing her eyes to turn the same gold as Emilia and Nesat's.

"Push through!" Upon her declaration, a second beam of blue energy would fire from Claire's Buster Cannon, spiraling around her green energy before colliding against the Savage's N-Barrier. The beast would shriek in anger as it felt the increased intensity, and for the next few seconds cracks would form across the dome, spreading until the point where the barrier faltered and shattered.

As if by sheer luck, the Slayers' coordinated attack managed to last just long enough, their energy depleting just as the Savage's defenses broke apart. The Dragonfly itself was unharmed, however it no longer had the vital protection it required.

"Artorian!"

"On it!" He shouted, the hybrid growling as he closed his eyes.

 _'Only for a second, only an ounce. No more, don't give it any ground!'_ Artorian would think, feeling a cold presence go up his spine before opening his eyes, revealing crimson red eyes. _'Be my push!'_ Planting his feet into the ground, the Abysswalker would create enough force that the entire ground cracked, his legs pushing with all the strength he could muster.

The jump had sent him flying into the air, the Abyss' influence giving him a big enough boost to neglect his drained state and head hurdling towards the Savage. As he approached his eyes would return to normal, the Slayer then snarling as the Dragonfly detected the Abyss and turned to him, its mouth glowing as it charged its energy.

Bellowing in rage, Artorian would reach the housing of the Savage's core, just at the base of its extended neck. Swinging forward, he would strike with all the force he could muster, feeling his muscles burn as he struck the casing. The glass and armor would give way, his sword reaching the core and connecting to it. However as it did the Dragonfly would fly back, the sword only cutting into the core to make it bleed.

The Abysswalker's eyes would widen in panic as it escaped his blade, seeing the beast aim its mouth to him as the energy finished charging. He was completely defenseless in the air, with no way to avoid or defend himself with the little energy he had left. He was a sitting duck, and the Savage was planning to take full advantage of his situation.

But before the Dragonfly could fire its attack, a large bolt of lightning would fly past Artorian's shoulder and strike the Savage in its mouth. The lightning would react immediately with the energy, causing it to supercharge and detonate in the beast's mouth. A chain reaction would follow, several more explosions going off across the Dragonfly's body as the energy became too uncontrollable for it.

"Kill it!" Matthew would shout with his remaining strength, collapsing back down to a knee as the lightning spear took all of his remaining magic.

Hearing his fellow hybrid, Artorian would snarl as he looked up to the Dragonfly. Knowing he had no option; the Slayer would do the only thing his mind would register. Tossing his sword behind him, he'd bend his leg and place it at the end of the handle. And with a enhanced push he would kick himself flying forward, sending the sword impaling in the ground next to Matthew.

Feeling his body grow heated, Artorian would use the adrenaline to take a grasp of the Variant Virus, focusing energy into all four of his limbs. Kicking forward, his feet would dig into the Savage's armor, followed with his hand gripping hard enough to bend the metal to give himself a grip. With his grasp on the Savage secured, he would rear back his dismembered arm back with his energy flowing all into it.

"RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" As he swung the limb forward, a bestial roar would erupt from Artorian's throat, his eyes glowing brighter as he punched the core with everything he had. The limb would manage to punch into the core, the impact causing the Dragonfly to shriek in agony as its fluids shot out of it. Artorian's energy would then fuse with the Savage's, a bright glow of blue and green energy originating at the center before suddenly dying out.

As the glow dissipated, the energy would then react violently, a massive explosion going off at the Savage's core. The explosion caused a shockwave strong enough that everyone below had to protect themselves, each Slayer's Hundred dissipating as they all ran out of energy.

The torrent winds and rampant energy would go off for only a few seconds, going away as the Dragonfly's body fractured into pieces and was pulled down by gravity. Looking up, the Slayers would see Artorian falling among the Savage's chunks, his body unmoving as he fell head first into the lake.

"Artorian!" Emilia would shout in concern, only managing to step forward before collapsing in exhaustion. The president and Hunter would soon collapse to a single knee as well, all of their eyes returning to normal as their exhaustion took over.

Before either Claire or Emilia could speak up, Liddy had run right past the two, her eyes narrowed at the spot in the water Artorian fell in. Focusing her energy into her legs, the Slayer would jump far enough to be close enough to his position, diving head first in. Despite the darkness of the lake's water, Liddy's vision would be able to see perfectly through it, seeing Artorian moving around frantically in the water.

Swimming down, the Slayer would reach down and lock her arms under his armpits, the Abysswalker feeling her from behind him to turn and see her. With a single look from the Slayer, he would register what she would say and began to kick his feet, keeping their bodies parallel as they would attempt to swim up.

They were going slow, unable to rise fast as the two felt their breath begin to leave them. But by a stroke of luck, the two would see Erica's Everlasting pierce through the water, its momentum carrying it down enough so that Liddy could reach for it. A single tug of the chain would give the Slayer her indication, and the two would then feel themselves get pulled quickly up to the surface.

They gasped desperately for air when they reached the surface, the girl still holding onto the claw as Erica slowly pulled them to the lake's shore. When they were close enough, Liddy would drag Artorian out of the tides and drop him on his back, collapsing next to him as they panted heavily.

"Worst… lake day… ever." Artorian would gasp out, coughing out water to his side as he did. He would then feel Liddy drop her fist onto his chest, getting a groan of pain from him as she collapsed completely.

"Just… shut up please." She muttered, the two closing their eyes as they heard everyone run towards them.

"Hey…?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for catching me, AFTER I fell into the lake."

"Smartass." Liddy would grumble, although she smiled as she felt relief wash over her.

"Hehehe-blah!" The hybrid would laugh, turning to his side to cough out blood, looking back up as blood trailed down his chin. "I need a doctor."

* * *

"So, that was Artorias Abyssal's son?" Alonne would mutter to himself, cupping his chin as he watched the Slayers from the top of the cliff, having left shortly after the Dragonfly emerged. "How amusing of a specimen. I can certainly see the relation. Although he lacks the control his father had."

He would then turn away, the Abyss shadowing him as he would slowly dissipate into the night. "Only one ability? He has a long way to go if he can claim to be an Abysswalker." His eyes would then glow red, piercing through the Abyss as he dispersed. "I wonder what other talents are hidden in his strain. I look forward to his growth."

"Struggle on Wolf Knight. This is only the beginning."

* * *

 **(A/N): Sorry this one came out so late. I'll admit the last two chapters burned me out on fights and I needed some time to recharge my batteries. After a bit of time finalizing things and resparking my focus, I managed to sit down and get this chapter done. I'll admit, I feel I may have been able to split this chapter into two and give some moments more focused, however I felt this series of battles were beginning to draw out more than needed and wanted to clear it up the best I could.**

 **And with this arc done, I can get ready for the building blocks for the next one. I'll admit, I'm not as excited for the next arc as I was for this one. However I still have some good plans in the groundwork already and look forward to getting it done. Although there might be a bit of a pause in my writing, mainly because there's another story idea or two I wanted to start doing. One has been in my head for months, but only recently have I finally gotten it thought up and have a plan to follow with it.**

 **Finally, although it isn't often said I'm going to be glad to give the group some much needed R &R in the next few chapters. Especially since the past three in a row were all spent fighting near non-stop. Surprisingly I've gotten an enjoyment out of those sequences, which says a lot since my first few stories probably had more fights than regular character interactions starting out. Just kind of a small thing I wanted to say, I feel a lot of you are glad to see the group get a break after the night of hell they went through.**

 **As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you in the next one. Peace!**


	26. Update (AN)

**Okay, I didn't want to have to say this so suddenly, but I felt I should put it in now. After the recent chapter, I've had a bit of a dry well in regards to the newest Abysswalker chapter, having only written around 1,600 words in the past week for it. I said it before, but the recent arc had burned writing Hundred out on me for a bit. I don't intend on dropping Abysswalker, on the contrary I'm going to be rereading both Hundred's Light Novel and Abysswalker for a bit in order to get a fresh grasp and refresh my interests/see what can be improved in the canon story for this.**

 **So as of today, Abysswalker will be going on a small hiatus. I don't know for how long, but I don't expect it to last forever, not nearly as long as the original that had happened a few chapters into the story's debut. But I feel the need to give myself some time to find that spark to write it again, otherwise just pumping the next chapter out will feel like a chore rather than the fun storytelling it's been so far. I plan on reading Hundred's next volume (from where I left off in Abysswalker) so that I don't feel the need to go back to what was already done. But I do feel the need to look everything over again to where I plan Abysswalker to go.**

 **Along with that, after the arc that comes with Volume 4 I have planned the first original arc for Abysswalker to commence. Both these will be important, with Volume 4 having a change I feel the series will desperately need in regards to a certain scientist. And for the original arc, the bulk of what happens is already planned, but I feel the need to go through some finer detailing into the individual moments and fights that will come. This arc is important to me, both as a setup for the future of the story, but also as a personal roadblock I have to overcome.**

 **In the past I have written two other original arcs, both from my original draft of my DxD-FT story. And both I felt disappointed in on account to poor planning and inconsistency within the context of the arcs. So Abysswalker's original arc will dictate how much I can rely on myself to write a good story that not only I can feel proud of, but one that offers the most entertainment I can give you. Writing is an important passion to me, as I not only can bring my ideas to life, but I can entertain people with them as well. To me, providing an enjoyable experience for all of you is more important than just putting my ideas out.**

 **There also comes with a very important segment in Abysswalker, more in regards to what would be the final couple arcs of the entire story. Yes, I am thinking that far ahead, and yes it is a bit of a hassle to do. However I feel it is important, as there's a big problem I have with Hundred aside from a few key things: it's final couple Volumes. I am not a huge fan with how the story's direction nearing to and at the end and have been planning on how I intend to change it, this is more than just the final volume bear in mind. Now I don't intend to let it slow me down in the more current and to come arcs, but it is a long term goal that may have me come on and off at times.**

 **So to finish and sum things up, I intend to take a few weeks off to recharge my batteries and swing into Abysswalker with passion again. Until then, this story will likely not get much of an update. I may post a preview of what I have written already, but seeing as the next chapter is the "Recovery" chapter, there's a whole lotta nothing going on. So I may actually write a small draft of what would come in my original arc and post that preview instead, nothing that is too revealing on what the arc will have, but enough to give an idea of what will happen.**

 **And I hate doing this, but until I get back into the story, I would recommend reading my newest story that I have released: Queen's Heir. I don't like the self-shill, but a lot of the inspiration that kicked me into overdrive with Abysswalker came from playing Code Vein, and this story had been a long time coming as I wanted to know what I wanted to do with it. Only two chapters are out currently, but the amount of writing I have been able to do with it points to it being something I can keep going. And as it has a far reached plan, it will likely be written side by side with Abysswalker once I get back to it.**

 **I know this isn't the update my readers would want, but I genuinely don't want to happen to Abysswalker's that has happened to many of my other works. When I put so much effort and energy into a story, it makes me feel excited. But when I run low on energy and feel the need to keep releasing, it makes me begin to lose interest, it's what's happened to more than a few of my stories, sparking rewrites or just flat out dropping the stories. I don't want that to happen to Abysswalker, so for now it is officially on Hiatus.**

 **And of course this might just be hot wind, and my passion returns quickly to where the hiatus ends up just being a short break, but I can't say for certain and wanted to let it be known. That is the point of this update, to make sure my readers, who have made the entirety of this story possible and inspired me to put so much effort into it, know that there may be a delay to the release of the next chapter.**

 **I hope you understand and I'll see you when the spark is lightened anew. Peace!**


	27. Reliqua

"Twenty cracked ribs, over a dozen fractures across your arms and legs, massive open cuts on your chest and back, a crack in the temporal of your skull, three ruptured organs, and your right hand to halfway up your forearm has been cut off." Claire would list off, sighing as she massaged her forehead.

"I know right? Talk about a lucky break." Artorian chuckled, grinning as he looked over to the blonde.

After the defeat of the Dragonfly Savage, nearly the entirety of the forces stationed at the basecamp were sent as rescue teams. Anyone who was an active Slayer were sent out to gather the teams that were injured. A headcount of casualties and injured was taken, with a solid forty Slayers being killed, brutal cuts that were ripped in by a jagged blade having been the source.

The rest were either critically injured or exhausted, leading to a temporary withdrawal from the operation. Most teams were to remain in Qin to recover before going back in to finish off the remaining Savage. However, a few teams were to leave, the members having suffered wounds that required more advanced equipment to treat.

Among this was the Slayers of Little Garden, all suffering a variety of small fractures from their encounter with the Scorned. However among them the worst by far was Artorian, the listed injuries all having him completely bedridden. He was strapped down to the bed he was on, as he was barely able to keep himself balanced when the airship would turn.

"The fact that you're even breathing without a machine is the most confusing part of it all." While most of her wounds were healed by Alonne's lifegem, she still had a few scrapes and cuts from the scuffle. She had a few bandages wrapped around her, a small patch on her cheek being the only one visible with her red uniform on.

"It takes more than that to shut me up, you know that." The hybrid joked. Contrast to Claire, Artorian was in the worst condition possible. With his body so heavily damaged, emergency surgery was required the moment he was brought into the basecamp. To the field medics' credit, he was in a stable enough condition now, although they could only prevent him from dying. He was almost covered head to toe in bandage wrapping, the only visible parts of his body being the right half of his face. He had an I.V. connected to him along with a blood bag, keeping him stable for the trip back to the battleship.

"That, I can agree with." Claire closed her eyes, cracking a small smile before looking to the Lord in concern. "How bad do you feel?"

"Eh, it hurts here and there… and there… and there… yeah it sucks." He admitted, although chuckling as he looked down to the side of his bed. "But the company certainly makes it easier."

At his side were both Liddy and Emilia, the latter resting her head on the bed and the former sitting in a small chair at the base. Both were covered with bandages, the white-haired girl having a few covering her face and hands and a few underneath her uniform, those being nothing concerning and with Artorian's condition allowing the medics to give Claire permission to apply them.

Liddy on the other hand had much more bandages visible. Her face was wrapped to a fair extent, a portion of her left face and her entire forehead wrapped. Along with that, her sleeve was rolled up so that the bandaging keeping her arm clean was allowed to breath. To finish she had a few bruised ribs and a hairline fracture in her other arm, leaving her the second worst of the batch.

"Although I would like them to be in their own beds. Probably not the most comfortable way to sleep."

"You are not allowed to say that after breaking your hand and feet to latch onto a Savage." The blonde called him out, pointing to the fact there wasn't much of a comparison to his injuries.

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome." He grumbled before looking back up to Claire. "How's everyone else?"

"Erica only suffered a few bruises, she's in the best condition but she lost most of her energy. Her and Liu are resting in the cabin; Xuemei had a surprising amount of work on her plate while we were out."

"Good, they earned some sleep. What about Reitia and thunder-head?"

"Most of Matthew's injuries were intended to keep him stunned, he's moving decently and is watching over Reitia while she rests."

"Let me know how she's feeling when she wakes up, she looked pretty beat up when I got there." The Lord requested, getting a nod from Claire before the important question came up. "And our three guests?"

"The Hunters were removed of their variable suits and the two that were unconscious were stripped of their variable stones. They are currently being held with energy-blocking handcuffs and will be transferred into Dr. Dimandias' care." She answered. "The one who was conscious was allowed to keep her variable stone, only because it was in her eye and removal wouldn't be achievable. And besides… she earned at least to keep it in as long as the eyepatch was locked off after her assistance."

"Probably for the best, not the best memories with that eye. Now then, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"You had a swordspear through your gut, what do you think?"

"I'm fine."

"Claire…"

"…There's jolts of pain on occasion. And I'd be lying if I said it feels fully healed." She admitted, looking to the side. "The stone that healed me was… it did its job, but a bulk of the injury was still there. And I'm sure a scar will be left."

"I suppose it could have been worse." Artorian would say, looking up to the aircraft's ceiling as he did. "Imagine how bad it would have been if Alonne hadn't showed up."

"It would have been a massacre."

"And he would have grabbed the Hunters and Emilia… even after he… bastard…" The hybrid struggled to find his words, tightening his fist to the point he broke skin. His eye would shut tight, his teeth clenched as he appeared to be in pain. Claire was about to step closer to check on him, but paused when he spoke up again.

"Claire… I have to say something. Throwing all shit aside to say this genuinely." He spoke with a hoarse tone, his hand shaking as he then clenched onto the bed sheet underneath him. "I'm… I'm so relieved you all made it. I was… I thought… it was going to happen again."

Claire would then be surprised as tears began to escape the hybrid, his emotions getting the best of him as he let out what he was feeling. From their last mission together, she was aware that Artorian held a surprising amount of worth in the lives of people around him. Far more than she ever expected from someone with as a checkered history as his family did. And with the loss he had suffered during the Second Attack, she could tell that recent events likely brought up many painful memories.

But what was more under the surface that she couldn't tell, was the Lord was struggling with the agonizing reality dropped on him. Hayato was alive, working for the Nameless King and fighting against him. Everything he remembered of his friend, someone who he would have died a thousand times for back then, was now trying to kill him and everyone he knew. He had failed to protect him in the past, and now he's seen that because of that failure Hayato became a shell of his former self.

Unthinking, cold. He's become more of a beast than a person. All because he wasn't strong enough.

Because he couldn't keep his promise.

The hybrid would let himself cry for only a few seconds, the stains of his tears being the only signs of it by the time he stopped and released his grip. Opening his eye slowly, he would only stare up, unable to look to anyone.

"You should get some sleep." He'd say. "You're probably exhausted and have work to do when we get back. I've kept you up long enough."

"Well… you are right in regards that I have a lot of work ahead of me." Claire responded, stepping away for a second. Artorian was about to close his eye to relax until he heard a chair being moved, looking to his side to see Claire sit down next to the head of the bed. "But I also have work to do right now, making sure you get back to Little Garden so that you can be properly treated."

"Claire, you don't have to do that. Emilia and Liddy are here, if anything happens they can-"

"I am the only other person awake. And I know you wouldn't wake them up if you were bothered." The blonde called the Lord out, getting him to look away as he knew she was right. "And besides, I want to… make sure you're okay. Your condition had me scared, I was almost certain you would've died from blood loss."

"…Thank you." Artorian muttered, sighing as he attempted to stay comfortable. "Oh, and Claire?"

"Yes?"

"I may have… miscalculated when I said I'd give you a single tear." He admitted, looking to the side in mild embarrassment. "Guess you got me a bit more than either of us thought."

The comment would get the blonde to blush in response, looking away herself as to avoid being seen as such. But despite it, the two both smiled to themselves, letting a comfortable silence settle between them.

* * *

"Do you see them?" Karen would ask, her and Sakura waiting near Little Garden's landing strip.

"Not yet, but I think they're close." Sakura would answer, looking through a pair of binoculars.

While the idol was visiting, an apparent rumor had started going around that the team that had gone on the mission in Qin was reported to be returning. It had confused the two initially, wondering why Artorian hadn't at the least called to tell Karen about the withdrawal. But regardless of the circumstances, they had decided to wait for the team, Sakura keeping an eye on the return path that their transportation would take.

Although it wasn't said, there was an uneasiness between the two girls as they waited. The mission was only said to be no more than two days, but they were returning on the first day, and were being sent in early in the morning. Even with as large of a force that was sent to deal with the Savage nest, the time it would take to eliminate all of them didn't match up at all.

 _'Please let everyone be okay.'_ She'd think in concern, continuing to watch the skyline.

It wouldn't be for another ten minutes before the idol saw movement, her eyes widening as she saw a Warslran aircraft approach. "There they are!"

"They're here?"

"They should be here any minute." Sakura informed, helping move Karen's wheelchair down the ramp way as the ship was quickly approaching. Before they could reach the door to be at the waiting location on the landing strip, they were stopped as a group of medical personnel.

"So many doctors…" Karen muttered in concern, Sakura's eyes following the set of professionals, her eyes catching Miharu and Kaede.

"Miharu! Kaede!" The idol would call out, the two stopping for a second at hearing her voice.

"You talk to her, I'll be needed immediately." Kaede said to the nurse, both sharing somber expressions before the doctor ran to follow the rest of the staff.

"Miharu, what's going on? Why is there so many of the hospital's staff here?" Karen asked, getting wheeled over to the nurse. "Did someone get hurt? Are they all alright? Did… did someone…""

"It's okay, according to the reports there weren't any casualties suffered by Little Garden. Artorian and everyone else are alive." Miharu informed, getting a breath of relief from the two.

"But then why is there so many staff? I never thought I'd see so many." Sakura questioned.

"A portion of the team have suffered injuries, the reason their being sent back is because none are able to operate at full capacity or couldn't offer enough offensive capabilities." The nurse answered, her ears perking up as she heard the aircraft land. "I'm sorry you two, I have to get to work. I can't order you to leave but I have to ask you please stay out of the staff's way. Someone's in critical condition and requires immediate care."

As the nurse went off, a bad feeling was shared between Karen and Sakura, knowing that for everyone to be put in such condition spelled nothing but trouble. But seeing as they weren't barred from seeing them, the idol would wheel Karen out, both heading for the parked aircraft. They got as close as they could, being sure to not get in any of the doctors' way as they had all their equipment being set up, including a fresh blood bag and a wheeled stretcher.

When the hatch eventually opened and the ramp extended out, the two girls watched in concern, waiting to see who would be the first one to step out. To their disappointment and concern, the first one to walk out was the Hunters, Nakri and Krovanh glaring heatedly at the staff.

"Get moving!" But before anything could be guessed, Matthew had pushed the boy's shoulder, him and Erica escorting the Hunters down.

"Everyone on board requires medical treatment, you're clear to enter." Erica informed the medical personnel, getting nods of understanding before the critical staff entered first.

"Ah, are my guests here?" Charlotte would ask, approaching the Hunters with Mei Mei by her side.

"Yes, is their containment room prepared?" Matthew responded, getting a nod of confirmation from the doctor. "We'll escort them to there, could you show us where?"

"Of course." Charlotte said, stopping as she saw Mei Mei giving her a pleading look. "Of course you can stay and check on them. But I'll need you to help with our visitors once you're done."

"Thank you Charlotte!" The cyber-cat maid cheered, hugging the doctor as she laughed.

"I can't say no to you. Now if you'll follow me." The doctor would direct, motioning for the Slayers and Hunters to follow, the latter younger two getting pushed to start walking while Nesat went without trouble.

With the doctor and Hunters gone, the three would look to the airship as they saw the medical teams walking out along several of the Slayers. The first to be removed would be Reitia and Emilia, the two accompanied as doctors were sure to have them walk out carefully.

"Emile! Reitia!" Karen would call out as the two were sat down at the makeshift medical station, the Slayers looking up to see the three approach them.

"Karen? What are you all doing here?" Emilia asked, wincing as she felt a numb pain from her injuries.

"We heard you were all coming back early and have been waiting."

"What happened, you two look like you were beaten badly." Sakura asked in concern, seeing the amount of injuries on the two.

"We ran into some… complications." Reitia answered, groaning as one of the medics looked over her injuries. "We got beat pretty bad, enough we had to come back so we didn't interfere with the operation."

"Were the Hunters that strong?" Mei Mei asked, her expression deeply hurt as she saw the two in so much pain.

"They certainly weren't push overs, but they were handled easier." Emilia answered.

"They took down most of my team, but apparently Artorian and the others showed up and managed to beat them." Reitia added in, recalling what Matthew and Erica had told her when she woke up. "But after they won, some one else showed up. A guy who Matthew called the Forgotten Sun." An audible gasp was heard from Karen, the group looking to Karen as she held her hands over her mouth, her eyes widening in fear.

"Artorian… what happened to Artorian!?" She begged to know, getting down casted looks from the Slayers. "D-Don't tell me… he didn't…"

"N-No, no he's alive!" Emilia quickly, realizing the impact the initial silence had. "He's just… he… he… he's hurt really bad." The Slayer answered, her eyes avoiding the girl's as she was washed by a wave of shame. "I wasn't strong enough to protect him and he… they really did a number on him. Not only that, but a powerful Savage emerged shortly after the enemies retreated."

"They were apparently crazy powerful, way past what any of us could handle." Reitia explained, working off what she was told. "Even Claire and Matthew weren't able to beat them. The only one that was taken down was their weakest, and that was after he fought Matthew, Emile, and Artorian back to back. They were… they were real monsters."

"Where is he right now?" Sakura questioned, getting answered immediately.

"Currently the doctors are working to properly stabilize him before moving him." Claire answered, approaching the group along with Liddy at her side, the greenette having her arm in a sling after it was rechecked and properly treated. "He suffered the most injuries, and his condition warrants extreme care before they can operate."

"Operate, he needs to be put in surgery?" Karen stared in fear. "Please, I need to see him! If he was unconscious then he-!"

"You needn't worry, he's been awake for the entire flight." Claire promised, relieving a single worry of the girl's. "Unfortunately, surgery is an absolute necessary for him. A large portion of his injuries are internal, the equipment here though will greatly aid his recovery."

"H-How bad was he hurt?" Sakura was afraid to ask, but couldn't even wait, the fear growing between her and Karen.

"…" Both Claire and Liddy looked to their sides in momentary concern, but the blonde looked bad up to give her an answer. "It was bad, but he's proven to be resilient. I'm certain he'll recover from most of his injuries, the damage shouldn't be permanent if treated correctly."

"You said most." Mei Mei called out, getting everyone present to look to her as she did. "You said he would heal from most of his injuries. Which one won't he heal from?"

"…Artorian's right arm was dismembered from the middle of his forearm to his hand." Liddy spoke, getting terrified stares from the three. "The rest of his wounds are treatable, however as humanity lacks the treatment or technology to regrow complex limbs such as his hand, he'll require a prosthetic replacement, if he desires to continue being a Slayer."

"N-No… how could he… he was hurt that bad…"

"Our opponents were in leagues of their own, encountering them was bad luck on our part." Claire stated. "Some fights simply can't be won; I would count him lucky for managing to survive after the damage he had taken. He fought as hard as he could… I have no doubt so that he could come back to you." The blonde finished, looking to Karen as she did.

She had a new understanding behind Artorian's drive, his whole purpose to be as strong as he could was all for her sake. She knew that at the end of the day, his sole reason to fight was to protect Karen; the same as it was for her to protect her little sister. She had little doubt that in the back of Artorian's mind, his thoughts always went back to surviving to return to his childhood friend. It certainly explained the inhuman level of determination he possessed in his fights.

"How are his vitals looking?" Hearing voices speak up, the group would turn to see Kaede, Miharu and several medics all exiting down the airship's ramp, Artorian being rolled out on a stretcher as they all worked efficiently.

"His pulse is stable; however he's showing resistance to the painkillers and antiseptics. We may require more powerful dosages if he is to be prepped for surgery."

"I'll send the request in. Dr. Howari, get a new bag of I.V. attached, his is running low."

"Already on it Dr. Zarca."

"How are you feeling Artorian?"

"Could be worse, but maybe an update on the painkillers would be appreciated."

"We'll see what we can do, just please hold on until we can get you to the operating room."

"Artorian!" Hearing the hybrid's voice, Karen desperately called out his name, surprising the group as she forced herself to stand up and run after the medical crew.

"Karen, wait!" Sakura called out; her, Liddy, Mei Mei and even Claire moving after her. Emilia and Reitia would attempt to go after her as well, but were stopped by their doctors as they forced them to remain seated.

"Karen?" Artorian muttered as he looked to his side, seeing the girl run towards him. "Kaede, please stop for a second."

"I can't do that Artorian, your condition requires immediate attention. She can see you after you've had your surgery." The doctor responded.

"Kaede, I know you're just doing your job, and I am very grateful for it. But if you don't let me see her, I WILL flip the stretcher over." Artorian warned, getting a look of disbelief from the woman. She then looked over to Miharu, the nurse sighing in disappointment.

"It's better to avoid the risk altogether, he is reckless enough to end up in this condition in the first place."

"Oi!"

"…One minute." Kaede stated, being firm with the hybrid as she did. "You get one minute, afterwards you go to the hospital, no objections."

"That's all I need." Artorian smiled, the medical staff stopping and allowing for Karen to reach them.

"A-Artorian…" She muttered out as she looked down to her childhood friend. She was terrified of his injuries, scared to see what was likely underneath all of the bandaging wrapped around his body. She cautiously reached for his hand, pausing as she feared hurting him. But when he flipped his hand over, he would gently take her hand in his before smiling up to her.

"Hey, don't look so down Karen." He would say, wishing her could raise his other hand up to wipe her eyes as he saw tears begin to form in her eyes. "I'm here, everything's okay. So don't waste your tears."

"I… I was so scared…" The girl cried, closing her eyes as she gently returned his grip. Tears would escape her despite his wish, unable to keep herself calm with the condition he was in.

"I know, I'm sorry for worrying you so much." He responded, letting go of her hand to raise his arm up and wiping the tears on her right check off. "It looks bad, but you know me better than anyone Karen, there's no way in hell I'm going to be kept down by this. I'll be up and at 'em again before you know it."

"I know but… but when I heard He was there… Artorian He would've killed you." Karen cried, placing her hand over his, finding the cold sensation of his body terrifying now instead of the usual comfort it brought.

"Of course He would, but He didn't. And I won't let Him take me away from you." The hybrid would promise. "This is the worst they'll ever do to me. Next time, I'll be twice as strong, and I'll kick anyone's ass I come across. I won't let you cry for my sake ever again."

"I can't help it, every time you get hurt it's for my sake and I… I hate that you have to go through so much pain." She stated, lowering her head as she continued to cry. "It isn't fair to you and I… I just wish you didn't have to always be fighting! You've protected me since we were kids, and ever since Hayato… since he… you've been fighting by yourself and your injuries just keep getting worse. And it's all my fault."

"Don't. You. Dare. Ever say it's your fault." The hybrid stated, lowering her head more until he pressed her forehead against his, surprising her as he kept her close. "Karen I… what had happened… Hayato had… I…" The Slayer was struggling to speak, his shame growing as he closed his eye tight in disgrace. He knew he should tell her, he HAD to tell her. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't get the words out. He was afraid of what she'd think, he was afraid to let her know the fate that had befallen her brother, and at the center of it all he felt himself as solely responsible.

"It's not your fault, it has never been your fault." He'd eventually say, opening his eye as he comforted her. "We wanted to protect you, and I will continue to protect you because I made a promise. I'm your Wolf Knight, and I will protect your smile no matter what." He vowed, smiling up to her as he let go of her. "So please, let me see it. It's gonna be rough the next few hours, ya know?"

"Artorian I… I'm sorry." Karen whined, wiping her eyes clean as she forced herself to smile, looking to him in concern but focusing on her relief of him being alive. "Please, get well soon."

"I will." He nodded in return, laying his head back down as he closed his eye. "Okay Kaede, I'm good."

"Alright." The doctor nodded, giving Karen a stare of empathy before the doctors all wheeled Artorian off, heading for the ambulance to bring him to the hospital. Everyone around had remained standing in silence, understanding the girl's need to see him alone above everyone else. He was her guardian, her beacon in a dangerous world. Seeing him in such a condition, it made sense she was unable to contain herself any longer as she began to cry once he left again.

As she cried, she would feel a hand be placed on her shoulder, looking back to see Sakura and Mei Mei look to her in concern. She then desperately hugged the two, crying into Sakura's shoulder as she allowed herself to let it all out. The two returned the embrace, holding her gently as they comforted her.

* * *

 _"So… it was him."_ Ornstein would say, rubbing his forehead as he responded to Charlotte's call. _"What's the conditions of everyone?"_

"Most of the team were wounded, but most walked out with no worse than deep cuts and broken bones. Honestly I think their spirits took the most damage from the exchange." Charlotte admitted, turning in her chair as she spoke to the Lord over the phone. "Artorian took the worst of the beating though, according to the doctors it's a miracle he survived past ten minutes."

 _"Damn it."_ The Lord growled from the other end of the call; the sound of lightning cracking heard as his magic lost focus for a second. _"How bad?"_

"Dozens of fractures and broken bones, ruptured organs, and his right hand was cut off. Aside from the damage He did to you, I haven't seen a Slayer have such intense injuries before. If he wasn't part Lord, he would've been long dead." The doctor answered. "It's been a few hours since the team returned, he's stable now and has undergone the necessary surgery, and Karen's waiting for when he wakes up to dispel the Abyss."

 _"I don't get it; He disappears for ten years only to show back up in the middle of a routine Savage Nest operation? Why?"_

"According to Matthew, things weren't as routine as expected. Aside from the surprise visit of the Forgotten Sun, he had his own number of knights. Two Lords and a supposed Undead Hollow, however he details the Hollow appeared ideally alive. As if he hadn't been branded by the Darksign."

 _"You don't think…"_

"Matthew detailed that Artorian instantly lost the will to fight the moment he saw the Hollow's face. Ornstein, he broke the Abyss' control because he couldn't believe what he saw. I have no doubt that he was facing Hayato."

 _"Fuck. Pardon the language."_ The Lord swore, taking a few seconds to recollect himself before continuing to speak again. _"So that means Artorias' theory on Matsuda Kisaragi was correct?"_

"We can't say for certain, perhaps Hayato is an outlier that has perfect recollection of himself because he has a goal keeping his memories together." Charlotte theorized, although sounding uncertain as she looked to the past notes Artorias left. "But I would keep it on the table."

 _"To think He could manage to get his hands on a Pygmy, Charlotte you know the damage he could do with one."_ Ornstein reminded the doctor.

"I know, it was never a matter of what the Nameless King would do to destroy the Lords, only a matter of How and When." She spoke, tapping the side of her head as she reclined back into her chair. "Luckily Lady Gwyndolin was present, so he should be able to inform Gwyn about the potential risk."

 _"It's going to look bad on humanity. Not only that there may be a Pygmy outside of the Ringed City, but lost and in the position of the Forgotten Sun. He's going to become more paranoid, and I have no doubt this may tighten the limit on resources he's willing to give for human expeditions."_

"We'll find a way around it, but there's something else that needs to be mentioned." Charlotte continued on, pulling up several recordings of the Dragoon Savage's awakening. "The Nameless King didn't pick Qin by sheer luck; he knew that a Dragoon was underneath the lake. He intended on sacrificing the Variants to hopefully mutate it."

 _"A Dragoon… that's why Artorias left his wolf there decades ago."_ Ornstein put together, groaning as he did. _"Any word on Sif?"_

"Artorian and Claire encountered him prior to their engagement with the Hunters, and apparently one of the Scorned were delayed because of fighting Sif. No body of a Great Wolf was found, so it's likely Sif survived the encounter and retreated, likely leaving Qin if the Dragoon was defeated."

 _"Stubborn wolf, a little too much like its master if you ask me."_

"I have no doubt we'll see the furball again, I think we both know where he'll likely go to."

 _"Hopefully no one shoots him until he gets there, that'll be a mess."_

"No worse than the one we already have."

 _"I hear that. I'll keep an ear out for anything involving Sif or Lord movement, but I'm spread a little thin at the moment."_ Ornstein admitted. _"This Anti-Slayer organization stunt is starting to go dark. I believe whoever has been gathering the splinter cells is done and is now cleaning house. Likely hearing of Sir Alonne is getting him to act quicker."_

"How long until they make a move?"

 _"If we're lucky? A couple months. This ring leader's smart, I almost missed this merge plan when it first started. It didn't seem like much at first, until a report a year later shows that eighty of the organizations had formed into a single group. Not only that, but before I lost contact with one of my informants they detailed a vile feeling coming from some of the compounds. Something he hadn't felt since the First Generation Slayers' creation."_

"Someone's making Vessels."

 _"Which means it's definitely an Abysswalker."_

"So much is piling up all at once." Charlotte sighed as she put the notes in her hand down and closed her eyes. "It was bad enough when the Anti-Slayer groups were merging and Vitaly was making moves, but now the Forgotten Sun and two Abysswalkers are running around causing trouble. Think we'll be seeing a war soon?"

 _"I doubt it. Alonne isn't stupid, he's keeping his powers at their max and likely won't make more than a handful of Vessels if he even does. He also is only focusing on the Lords; I doubt we'll have trouble from him. And Vitaly doesn't have the means of waging a war against Slayers, maybe skirmishes but we shouldn't face too many challenges against her. I'm more concerned about this third Abysswalker, even more than the Forgotten Sun."_

"The First Flame is now at risk and you're more afraid of him?"

 _"We both know the threat they pose. And if they are taking in Anti-Slayer factions, he has members who are willing to become monsters to destroy what they view as the greater evil. And as much as we hate to admit it, both Slayer generations certainly have enough faults to give the faction droves of forces."_

"But not everyone is compatible with it. Most of his forces will barely be above the average human soldier."

 _"If you have a few thousand soldiers, even one in two dozen can be a game changer. And we've seen what a Vessel can become, Meiko was beyond a force of nature at her peak after all."_

"Of course…" Charlotte's mood instantly went down, loathed memories resurfacing at the vague mention of a previous Vessel.

 _"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned her. I realize her name's still a painful afterthought, especially with Artorias gone now."_ The Lord apologized, noticing the doctor's growing silence.

"It's fine, I'm over it. Both cases." She stated, more saying it to herself than to Ornstein. A notification then came up on her lab's computer, getting her attention. "I'm sorry Ornstein, I have to get back to work. I'll try and call you later."

 _"Of course, I'll keep you updated if I hear anything else. Just… get some sleep, okay? You aren't like them, even those chips can only do so much."_

"I know, thank you for the concern. Bye." Charlotte would bid before hanging up, looking to her screen as she saw the notification was from Judal. She didn't truly want to look at it, the stress of the past few hours already building up on her.

 **"Char?"** Liza's voice would speak up in concern, getting the doctor to sigh before smiling to the center system in her lab.

"It's okay Liza, I'm just a little concerned is all. It's been a busy day so far."

 **"Visit Artorian?"**

"Maybe tomorrow, I still have a lot of work to do."

 **"He'd be happy"**

"I think he's had enough of the past for one day." Charlotte responded, looking down to Artorias' notes as she flipped through the pages. "I'm sure he won't lose any more sleep than he already does without me around."

 **"…If you say so."** With that said, the girl would log off, the disappointment in her voice hear by the scientist as she refused to look up from the notes, ignoring Judal's message as she looked down in disappointment.

* * *

"You know, you gave everyone a real scare back there." Miharu would say, wrapping up Artorian's newest set of bandages. After his surgery, the hybrid was put under sedation in order to let his wounds heal, Karen having explicit permission by Judal himself to remain in the room until he regained consciousness. Once he did and the girl used her Miracle to ward off the Abyss, the nurse returned in the room and shooed her off, having to replace his bandaging and required the room be empty.

"I'd bet, I was messed up bad." Artorian responded, looking to the ceiling as Miharu wrapped up his dismembered limb. Due to the damage to his skull, Artorian's hair was cut shorter, although the trimmed sides were hidden under a layer of bandaging. The rest of his body was wrapped similarly as before, albeit his face was now visible, although framed by his bandages and the entirety of his forehead being wrapped up.

"That's an option, near mutilated is a more fitting one." The nurse stated, looking down to him as she finished his wrappings. "I know it isn't in my place to ask, since I'm just a nurse and you're the Slayer but what happened?"

"We got ambushed, guys were better than expected." He answered quickly. "The Hunters messed me up a bit, but the second group were the ones that did the real number. Followed by a Dragoon Savage, it isn't unexpected I was damaged as much as I was."

"You know that doesn't answer the question I asked."

"And you know I don't want to talk about it."

"…I know." Miharu would sigh, placing the spare bandages to the side as she sat in the chair next to Artorian's hospital bed. "I was just seeing if I could get an answer. I know you're too stubborn to admit the full reason you got hurt."

"We both know you would do the same thing if you got hurt."

"If I got hurt, it would likely be a broken arm or leg. Your skull nearly fractured, your entire ribcage was on the verge of being turned to shards, and you had almost lost a lung, kidney and your liver." She countered, getting him to look away in return. "Artorian, you trust me to look after Karen. And I hold that trust very personally, but I also have the responsibility to look after you."

"I didn't ask you to, and just because the girls are concerned doesn't mean you have to add onto your burden any more than you have. I've looked out for myself for ten years, just because my injuries are worse doesn't change that I can handle this."

"…Did I ever tell you about my father?" Miharu would ask after a moment of silence, confusing Artorian into looking to the nurse. "He was more of an old school guy, he believed that if you can do something yourself, you do it. Tools and the likes were just extra steps for something you can do with your two hands. He even made our house by himself, just before he proposed to my mother." The thought would bring a smile to her face, getting her to laugh lightly.

"He was also, in his own words, "One tough sunnuva-bitch"." She'd continue, being sure to use the roughest voice she could to quote her father. "He served in the army up until a year before I was born, so he certainly had the look to match his description, managed to get to colonel before he was honorably discharged. And then for a few years, he raised me alongside my mother without hesitation. Despite that rough and authoritative appearance, he never yelled at me, even when I broke one of his pairs of glasses. He just picked me up, put me away from the glass and told me "you made the mistake, now learn from it and never make it again". And you know what? I didn't."

"I grew up with him for about four years before things began to change. A man in this strange armor was at the door and asked for my dad. I didn't know what he was looking for, but it certainly involved my father because for the next three years I never saw him. Apparently a private military company was running some kind of special super soldier program. And although he wasn't drafted or anything, whatever they talked about got him to enlist into the program immediately."

"Eventually one day, he came back. I had waited in his old office until the day he came back when I was home, so I beat my mom and got the first hug from him." Miharu laughed, smiling fondly at the memory. "I was so excited and crying so much, I didn't even realize he had lost one of his arms until I calmed down. Along with that, these strange blue markings had formed across parts of his body, going from the right base of his neck across his arm and partially on his chest. Me and my mother had no idea what they were, and he wouldn't say anything about what had happened, not directly anyways."

"Thinking back, I know for certain what he was doing, especially after what happened when I turned ten." The nurse's eyes would then turn somber, looking to the hybrid sympathetically as she did. "You recall it don't you? I know you were three, but it isn't an easy day to forget."

"The First Attack." Artorian muttered, referring to the first large scale invasion on humanity the Savage had committed. And how the world was forever changed by it. It clicked quickly that the PMC that Miharu's father enlisted in was Warslran, and he quickly caught on to what the "secret project" he was put in.

"Humanity suffered over two billion deaths; the armies weren't able to do more than scratch the armor the Savage had. But then, humanity's beacon of hope became public: The Slayers. I knew then after hearing about them that my dad was likely one before, and must have been engaging in the training of the special forces. I'm certain he would have been proud to see the Second Generation and the results they had produced."

"About a year after my dad returned, he became very ill. He was coughing constantly, and his skin was turning gray. The markings on his body also became worse, spreading up his neck and down his torso. Every year he got worse, but no matter what he always assured me he was fine, that it would take more than "a damn cold" to kill him. But the whole time, I knew he was putting a brave face on. He was dying, he knew it, but he refused to do anything about it."

The nurse then closed her eyes and took a calming breath, recollecting herself before she continued on. "Artorian… I watched my father die a slow and painful death for five years. First it was coughing, then he lost the ability to walk, soon he was convulsing at random times as his markings spread more. Eventually he was coughing out blood and his organs slowly began to fail one by one. He was in and out of the hospital constantly, he was on the verge of death at each visit. But the whole time, he told me he was okay."

"Eventually one day, he just didn't wake up." She stated, looking down as she did. "My father died in his sleep, according to the doctors, he had suffered total organ failure. Every part of him; his lungs, his heart, his brain, everything just shut down at once. All the pain he suffered, he died quietly and peacefully in his sleep, just like that." She demonstrated the impact by snapping her fingers, opening her eyes to look at the Slayer beside her.

"They called it Homicida Reliqua; or Slayer's Rest. According to the reports, everyone who contracted the disease were First Generation Slayers, they all died at different times, but the symptoms were the same. Knowing it happened to others, having seen it with my own two eyes… I wanted to be able to do something about it. It was my biggest push to go into the medical field, to help people when they were suffering."

"I had failed to help someone suffering in front of me before Artorian, and I refuse to ever make the same mistake twice." She stated, getting the hybrid to look away again to hide his face. "I know you don't want to be anyone else's problem, but you can't handle everything by yourself. People care about you, they want to help you, no matter how much you say you don't want help they will be there the moment you need it."

"…Gods you know how to gut punch someone with guilt." The hybrid would sigh, looking back to her. "I can't tell you everything, or much of anything for that matter. But I promise you, the moment I'm ready to, I'll tell you and everyone everything that needs to be known."

"That's all I ask." The nurse would smile, relieved that he wasn't adamant on pushing help away when he needs it.

"You can tell the girls that I'll be fine, and that they don't need to worry about me so much. I'm old enough to know my limits and pace myself when needed to." He stated. "I push myself, but I'm not dumb enough to get myself killed."

"I'll be sure to let them know." Miharu promised. "But there's something that I should let you know. I didn't ask what I did because the others were so concerned."

"Then why did you-mph?" Before he could finish, the hybrid would be caught off guard as the nurse planted a gentle kiss to his lips. Nothing special or exciting as one would expect from a nurse as gorgeous as Miharu; just a simple peck on his lips before she pulled away with a smile.

"I asked you because I was concerned for you." She teasingly smiled, winking to him before standing up. "Unfortunately visitor hours are up, most of your classmates are asleep or recovering in your own rooms. But I'm sure they'll be here to visit you the first chance they get."

"I… I don't doubt that." The hybrid would say, pausing as he wanted to speak up about the kiss but left it at it. Instead he would just smile and watch the nurse walk to the door, turning to him to give one last concerned glance.

"Dr. Charlotte had said LiZa is connected to the room's electronics. If you have a problem or require a doctor, you can ask her for anything. Will you be able to do that LiZa?"

 **"I promise"** The altered voice responded, getting a chuckle from Artorian.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the head's up. And thank you LiZa for volunteering."

 **"I always do my part"**

"Get some rest Artorian, you need it." Miharu would say before leaving the room, shutting off the lights for the hybrid as she did.

 _'Damn it…'_ Artorian would think as he looked out the window to his side, looking to the moon in the distance. _'I wish I could say it, but I can't. This is my burden to bear, my failure. I won't drag any of you into it.'_

 _"Karen… Hayato… I'm sorry I let you both down."_

* * *

 **(A/N): Well, it looks like this has managed to come out. Now as I said before, the hiatus may have been hot wind, and to an extent I feel it's the case. Rather I put it down on the off chance I actually didn't return for more than a month. Now I can't say if I'm fully back, but it certainly felt good to write and I felt more in the groove doing it now that I've given myself time to recharge my batteries.**

 **Although I will say that my batteries in general are a solid if at the moment, temp's beginning to heat up where I'm living and it's made sleeping a small issue, sometimes only got three hours of sleep. Probably one of the biggest factors to me not touching my laptop for over a whole week. But I'm going to try and work my way back into the process of writing, while also getting some reading and planning done for the future still.**

 **As I said in my update beforehand, this chapter didn't have too much in it besides a good amount of exposition, but after all the action I'm sure it's a nice change of pace to slow down to the R &R the team deserves. I actually enjoyed writing the conversations as I both like giving Miharu more to her character and giving interactions between Ornstein and Charlotte. The latter two are great for laying groundwork for important events and details, as they're the insight to the things even characters like Artorian and Matthew don't know. With age comes wisdom and all that.**

 **I'm uncertain if I'll be able to keep up steady updates, the hiatus may still be possible but after recovering from a rough two hours of sleep earlier today and around three hours two days ago I felt inclined to write for the past few days. And this little chapter is what I managed to squeeze out after taking a few steps back.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed it, and I'll see you in the next chapter... whenever it comes out. Peace!**


	28. Father-Son Tension

Three weeks had gone by since the Selections team returned from Qin, and since then most of the group recovered from their injuries. With the exception of Artorian, who still had a few bandage wrappings on his chest and face, and a sling for his right arm. Despite his advanced recovery, a portion of the bones broken had yet to fully recover. However he was still free to move about Little Garden, officially released from the hospital today.

"Say ahhhh!" Sakura said, holding a fork with seasoned beef to the hybrid with a bright smile.

Immediately after being released from the hospital, Artorian had agreed to go with Karen for lunch at the cafeteria. And since they were present and wanted to join, both Sakura and Emilia had come along for the trip; the fifth member of their little lunch outing being Miharu who was looking after both Karen and Artorian.

While the nurse made for good company, her overall presence impossible to feel hostile towards, that certainly didn't hold value between others.

"Here Artorian, I know you like grilled chicken more than beef." Emilia offered in return, sitting on the other side of the hybrid from the idol.

"Please, everyone knows that red meats are better to help with blood recovery, way better than chicken."

"But poultry is also much healthier than beef, being good for both his recovery diet and overall well being."

"Oh we both know you're just trying to throw those basic facts to try and get to feed him first, don't think I don't see through your scheme."

"Oh you're one to talk, Cotton Candy."

While most of the table was peaceful, the blatant competitive aura between the princess and idol were impossible to ignore. Although Sakura was still unaware of Emilia's true identity, she was still more than on guard with the prospect of Emile attempting to woo her faithful knight away from her. Then for Emilia, she refused to simply allow the famed idol to do the same, and every time the two were around Artorian at the same time there was this odd tension.

"Hey, you two can take it easy." Artorian responded, holding his hand protectively over his mouth as he pushed the two utensils down. "I get it, I'm hurt and you want to feed me. I'm touched but it isn't necessary, I'm not crippled or anything."

"I have legal documents and physical evidence that argues against that claim." Miharu interjected, pointing her fork to Artorian's slung arm. While the creation of a prosthetic limb would be easy, Charlotte's work had been piled up with the involvement of the Scorned and the captured Hunters, resulting in a delay to his new limb's creation.

"…That's a low blow." The hybrid chuckled, contradictory to both Emilia and Sakura's initial looks of shock at the nurse's claim. While the two saw the comment as harsh, the hybrid knew well there was no hostility to it, rather playing on the fact she needs to remind him repeatedly of the fact he's proven to not be as indestructible as perceived previously.

"Here Artorian, try this." Karen then offered her own food, holding a scallop with several sauces decorating it for the hybrid. "It's really good." With a smile, the hybrid leaned forward to accept the bite, initially getting pouts from the competing women to his sides before they smiled as well.

 _'No fair…'_ The two grumbled to themselves. It was hard to compete against Karen in terms of getting Artorian's attention, especially with how stubborn he's been since his recovery started. But they also couldn't be too upset, it was hard to with someone like Karen.

"See, isn't it nice to be fed instead of struggling with your chopsticks?" Miharu asked with a smile, giggling as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, being fed isn't the problem. The problem is that whoever I accept first will hold it over the other for a week, which means then they'll hold it over me for that week." Artorian answered with a chuckle. "Although, I do also enjoy seeing them try and compete for my attention. It's kind of adorable."

"Well, you certainly won't get an argument here." Miharu laughed. "They do seem to act similar, almost like stubborn siblings."

"Hey!" The two girls argued in return, crossing their arms and pouting to opposite sides at the call out.

"I am not like the prim and proper glitter fest…"

"And I refuse to be related to such an ill-mannered and brash student."

"Who are you calling ill-mannered and brash?" Emilia responded, leaning past Sakura with a narrowed stare. "Last time I checked; someone doesn't get an Innocence Hundred and over a 90% compatibility rate with those kind of credentials. You on the other hand can't even preform an armament."

"Personality doesn't translate into stats, but what more was I expecting?" Sakura rebutted, leaning forward as well to stare Emilia down, sparks dancing across their eyes as they bickered. "And preforming an armament has nothing more to do with it, I can generate far more energy than you, and with better control. How else would I be able to fly so easily?"

"Flying ain't a challenge princess, come at me when you can transform your Hundred into anything you can imagine."

 _'That's the pot calling the kettle black.'_ Artorian thought with a laugh, pushing his seat out to avoid being directly caught in the middle of the pop idol and cross dresser.

"Now, now, let's not make a scene, there are plenty of others trying to enjoy their lunch." Miharu spoke up, remaining the voice of reason as the two glared daggers at each other. "Summer break just started, you two should try using this time to get to know each other and relax. You have that trip to Yamato planned after all; it'd be bad for you to argue the whole time."

"…Fine." Both relented, turning their noses up from each other as they huffed, getting entertained laughs from Artorian and Karen.

"There, see? We can get along well. We're all friends."

"Tch!"

* * *

"Ugh, I hate flying." Matthew groaned, stretching his legs as he, Reitia, Erica and Liddy all disembarked and walked into the dock's station.

"I told you to take your pills, you wouldn't have this problem if you just slept through it liked I told you to." Reitia responded to the hybrid's complaint, placing her hands on her hips as she looked up to him.

"Absolutely not, that was a commercial plane and if I left you by yourself you would have racked up the charge on my card."

"We both pay for the account; it is not YOUR card."

"My point still stands that you would have bought nothing but snacks for the entire flight. Gods know the movies was already a waste of money."

"Oh you were so not complaining when we watched those movies for a ten-hour flight!"

"As entertaining as this would be, we need to go and catch our own flights now." Liddy spoke up, interrupting the two's bickering.

"Remember to relax, we have the first five days of summer break." Erica reminded them. "We'll be expected back on Little Garden as soon as it ends so the others can enjoy their own break, so make as much of your time off as you can."

"Don't need to tell me twice." Reitia smiled as she stretched her arms behind her head, getting a satisfying pop as she did. "I'm gonna sleep in every day we're off, and there's no force of nature that will stop me."

"Enjoy yourselves, you earned it." Liddy laughed before the two vice-presidents walked off, having to head for separate gates to catch their flights back home.

"Guess we should start looking for our parents, shouldn't we?"

"I already see yours." Matthew said, looking ahead past the crowds as he did. "Perks of being above the average height, or being at least average height."

"Low blow."

"As most of your punches are." The hybrid chuckled, getting punched in the side by her in return. "Come on, let's not keep them waiting." It wouldn't be much of a challenge for the two to move through the crowd, Reitia being sure to follow Matthew as he kept a clear sight on the Saintemillions.

"Matthew, Reitia!"

"Mom!" Reitia cheered, the young Slayer embracing her mother the moment she reached her parents.

"Looking good squirt, we've missed having you around the house." Her father smiled, rubbing her head before looking to Matthew. "And look at you Matt, it's been a year since you last visited us. Got a few new scars?"

"More than I would like to admit." Matthew said, giving a small smile as he shook the man's hand. "It's nice to see you and Hannah again, Sarato."

"I'm just glad you're alright, I've heard a few of your missions the past year have done a number on you."

"Nothing the doctors on Little Garden couldn't fix. Are mom and dad here?"

"Yeah, although they're a bit behind for a few reasons." Hannah responded, her and Reitia separating before looking to the hybrid.

"Don't tell me…"

"Big brother!"

 _'They actually all came…'_ Matthew thought, smiling as he looked across the station to see a swarm of five kids running towards the group. The hybrid then placed his bag down before kneeling down, opening his arms to embrace all five of them, nearly getting knocked back as he did.

"You're back!"

"Whoa! Careful there runts." Matthew laughed as he kept his balance, relaxing as he hugged his siblings back before looking down to them. "Gods, would ya look at you? You've all gotten bigger."

"Hihi! Won't be long before we're as big as you!" One of the boys chuckled, getting his hair ruffled in response.

"You're about five years from that Ethan, don't think you're upgrading from runt any time soon." Of Matthew's siblings, all of them weren't even ten yet, the oldest being Ethan at nine. Aside from him, the bunch all varied in the distance in age; with their eldest sister Cameron being just a year younger. After her were the twins Tyler and Taylor, both at six, and the youngest Amy was only four years old.

"Ah come now, don't knock his dreams down so soon." Hearing his father's voice, Matthew looked up to see both his father and mother approach. His mother Fiona was a petite woman, standing little taller than 5'4. She had chestnut brown hair, tied to the side over her shoulder. But the most catching sight of her was her bright blue eyes, the ocean deep color shared by her three daughters.

"Mom, dad." Matthew said tiredly, standing up from his siblings before walking to the two. He then gave a small bow, closing his eyes as he did. "It's nice to see you two again."

"Matthew, please." Fiona smiled. Matthew looked up from his position, appearing hesitant before standing straight and embracing his parents, Ornstein reaching high in order to wrap his arm around his son.

"I'm sorry, it's been a long month."

"So we've heard." The Dragon Slayer responded. "A nest extermination mission leaves significant damage, even if everything goes smoothly."

"…Yes, it does." Matthew said hesitantly, looking away from his father as he did. The reaction got a disappointed sigh from Ornstein, the Lord staring at his son in concern. An awkward silence filled the area, getting to even the young kids as they looked to the oldest of their family.

"So… let's not waste any time here!" Sarato spoke up, clapping his hands as he patted Reitia's shoulder. "You two had a long flight, and have only a few days here before you have to head back."

"Sarato's right, we should spend this day so that you two can rest. That way, we can spend the rest of summer break together like back then." Hannah agreed.

"Yeah!"

* * *

"Hihi, back in the hometown!" Reitia cheered, breathing a sigh of relief as she and Matthew were walking the streets. Shortly after getting home, the two Slayers had decided to check around and spread their legs. And after much disapproval from the hybrid's younger siblings, the two managed to head out without issue.

"I have to admit, the smell is much better than the ocean breeze every day." Matthew relented, closing his eyes to take everything in. He had been away from their home much longer, having been recruited into Selections at Claire's request.

"Eh, I wouldn't say that. But there is no place like home." She sighed, relaxing before her shoulders perked up. "Oh, do you think that ice cream place is still open!?"

"You tell me, did Mrs. Glanz say they were shutting down?" Matthew responded.

"She said sales were going down, especially since her number one customer had been shipped off on Little Garden." The Slayer grinned, bumping his side with her elbow playfully. "How can she support herself without your sweet tooth?"

"Shut up, I don't have a sweet tooth." Matthew said defensively, closing his eyes as the two walked.

"Three sundaes on a hot summer day beg to differ."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He stated, the two making a turn on the intersection. Taking the proper route, they'd make their way to the town's ice cream parlor.

"Mrs. Glanz? We'll take two of the usual please!" The girl said, grinning as they reached the window.

"Huh? Oh well look who it is." The two outside would stare in confusion before seeing who walked to the window, seeing a young man approach them. "I didn't think I'd see you two here, trouble at paradise?"

"Fritz?" Reitia responded, staring at the blonde before smiling. "You're here too!? How are you, I haven't seen you since graduation!"

"Doing part time?" Matthew questioned, getting a chuckle from him.

"Yeah, I have some time off so I thought I'd help out run things." Fritz admitted. "Might not be perfect, but Warslran is surprisingly lax on vacation time for students. Even an average Slayer like me gets plenty of free time."

"I wouldn't call yourself average." Matthew said. "Your Hundred score was only short of Reitia's, if Little Garden had more recruiting here you probably would've signed you up."

"Maybe, but I don't know how much I could really contribute." He shrugged in return. "A regular Shooter-type when you have a Dragoon user like Claire Harvey herself? I'd just be glorified fodder stalling for time."

"Oh come on Fritz, you're the best shot in Liberia!" Reitia argued. "You managed to beat her accuracy rating in the final test, and made it to the top ten in the world roster!"

"You do have a good eye, I certainly wouldn't want to be in your crosshair." The hybrid added, getting a chuckle from Fritz as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You guys are going to make me blush. Here, I'll make your dishes and close shop for a few minutes so we can talk, sound good?"

"Sure!"

* * *

"So what's been going on?" Fritz asked, the three sitting at a table with their own cups with ice cream. "I heard Little Garden dropped out of the Caged Bird Operation in Qin. With a roster like yours I would've though you alone could've wiped the Savage out."

"There were a few complications." Matthew admitted. "The Hunters sighted in the Zwei Islands appeared, along with several powerful Scorned and even a Dragonfly Savage. We were beaten fairly harshly, one of us even suffering critical injuries."

"Artorian right? The son of Artorias?"

"Better not let him hear that." Reitia chuckled. "He hates being called that, made a scene his first day at Little Garden because of it."

"Technically you started that scene by calling him out." Matthew pointed out, eating a spoonful while looking to the girl.

"I couldn't help it! Artorias' son was going to the same academy as us, that's a one in a million chance!"

"It's not that big of a deal."

"There's only a handful of the First Generation of Slayers left, and that includes your father." Fritz interjected. "Even seeing Carver so much gets dull, seeing the legendary Commander of the original Slayers in the form of his son must've been exciting."

"You take that back!" Reitia ordered. "Carver Genus is a one of a kind Slayer! Seeing him is never boring!"

"You don't work with him. He does nothing around the base and never lets us go on missions with him." Fritz chuckled. "The only First Generation Slayer that can use a combative Hundred, and he doesn't let anyone see what he can do. I've just been sitting around with guard duty and doing homework."

"Don't knock yourself, being on the field isn't as fun as most would think. Savage might not be dangerous without a Trenta or Dragonfly, but Slayers aren't invincible. One mistake and anyone can be killed. We learned that on our last mission."

"I can tell, you didn't have that scar last I saw you." Fritz noted, tracing his hand on his own forehead in reference to Matthew. "Was it the Savage or the Scorned that did that?"

"Scorned… there was a complication."

"I see…" Fritz muttered, the three falling into silence as the humans instantly caught on to Matthew's discomfort. "Well… Reitia, I'd bet you'd be surprised to hear about Genus." The Slayer soon changed the subject, respecting Matthew and not prying on the matter.

"What happened?"

"Well according to him, he's expecting to be a father any day now." Fritz revealed, the other Slayers giving looks of shock.

"You're serious!?"

"Impossible!"

The two's reactions were completely opposite to each other, Reitia's face brightening while Matthew's was of discern.

"Yeah, he certainly won't shut up about it." Fritz smiled. "His wife's expecting it shouldn't be too long, probably within the month."

"And he's still serving? As in active on duty and hasn't gone through his retirement therapy?" Matthew questioned, leaning forward as he did.

"Nope, guy's still working strong." Fritz answered. "Can't blame him, he's still in his thirties. It's not often we get a Slayer to live that long and still be active. At least none that have seen as much as he has."

"I know, he fought ten Savage by himself during the Second Attack. His Martial Arts Hundred is completely unmatched even to this day. Claire might be powerful, but he's not the top Slayer for a reason." Retia mentioned, sighing happily as she did. "And he's having a kid, I'm so happy for him."

"Nothing short of absolute praise from his biggest fan I see."

"Well you try saying different!"

"Hey, I'm not arguing. I'm just saying he's technically at the top because the previous top are dead or retired." The blonde reminded her. "Don't forget Artorias and Ornstein both were the best, and even without them a lot of the First Generation Slayers were skilled and on par with him. Just be careful Reitia, you might not get your mission with him if you don't act quick."

"Please, like any Savage could kill him! He's fought a Trenta on his own even! I bet he'd be able to beat a Dragonfly if he had to face one!"

"If you say so."

 _'How could this happen?'_ Matthew thought, looking down as he tightened his hand into a fist. _'Vessels aren't supposed to be allowed to have children, has he forgotten how dangerous a natural born Vessel could be? It was the one rule Gwyn set, how could father let this slide?'_

* * *

"Here you are Matthew."

"Thank you Ms. Farley, I'm sorry for such a short notice." Matthew apologized, picking up a bag of groceries. After saying their goodbyes with Fritz, Matthew and Reitia got a text from Fiona to pick up some last-minute vegetables for dinner before they got home. So quickly stopping by the store, they got everything just short of the early closing.

"It's no trouble, after everything your father's done it's the least I can do to prep up what you need right away." Ms. Farley responded. "Liberia is still standing thanks to his work in the west. The Second Attack could've just as easily destroyed most of the states if he and the First Generation Slayers didn't react as well as they had."

"The military did their part as well." Matthew responded, reaching into his pocket for his wallet.

"No, don't do that." Ms. Farley interrupted. "These are on the house."

"We can't just do that."

"You aren't home often, I want your time spent with your family to be the best it can be. So don't even think of paying this time."

"Ms. Farley, you never let me pay. Let me do it this once, it is your anniversary after all."

"I am fine, you meanwhile seem to come back with more scars every time I see you. So keep your money, for him?"

"…Darn it Ms. Farley, you know that's low."

"But we both know it's true."

"I'm paying next time, and you aren't arguing out of it." Matthew relented before walking away, following after Reitia as they headed home.

"Good afternoon Matthew!"

"Matthew, you're back in town? Why didn't you say anything?"

"How are you doing Matthew, haven't seen you in three years!"

"It's good seeing you again Matthew!"

"I wasn't expecting you back so soon, I would've baked you something."

"You should come by later, we have some new products we're sure you'll enjoy!"

"Man, I almost forgot the hero treatment you get back here." Reitia chuckled, looking up to the hybrid as she did. "Guess becoming a true Slayer just makes it all the more earned huh?"

"I didn't do anything. This praise isn't different from before." He responded, having mostly just waved off most of the commotion sent in his direction. "They're still holding on to the legacy my father had given, I haven't accomplished anything worthwhile."

"Or they see you as the Slayer you are, and have heard your record of eliminating multiple Savage up to this point." She argued. "You've done plenty on your own, not everyone reflects what they see in your father onto you."

"…Sure, we'll go with that."

"God, you're too much sometimes."

* * *

"So Reitia, how have your classes gone?" Sarato asked, looking to his daughter as the two families ate dinner.

"Oh, you know… they're happening." Reitia stated slowly, taking a second from her soup while looking to the side.

"Not letting your work build up, are you?" Hannah questioned, giving the young Slayer an amused stare.

"I've been keeping her on track, she hasn't failed anything and is keeping a B average." Matthew spoke up in her defense.

"What a relief that she has you around Matthew." Sarato chuckled. "Her grades were looking bad when you left, its good to know you're keeping her on track."

"More like slave driving me." Reitia muttered, giving the hybrid a sharp stare as he ate.

"What about you Matthew, how has your time on Little Garden gone?"

"It's been fine, a few new headaches but overall I can't say things are that bad." The hybrid admitted. "Claire runs a surprisingly tight ship; I can only think of three sources of error in her organization."

"I can guess Artorian and Emile, but I didn't think of a third." Ornstein stated, looking to his son. "Who would be third one?" At the question, Matthew went silent, looking to the kids table that had all of his siblings. Looking back and forth a few times, he appeared almost cautious, confusing everyone."

" _Sakura Kiri-"_

"SAKURA KIRISHIMA!" At the sound of Taylor shrieking in surprise, the realization went in immediately, followed by the ringing of the Lord and several of his kids' ears.

"Taylor's hearing's gone up, good to know." Matthew groaned, cupping his hands over his ears in pain.

"Sakura Kirishima's at Little Garden! Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you say anything? Did you get me an autograph? What kind of clothes does she wear? Is she really as pretty as she is on stage? Is her voice really as sweet as it is-mph!?" The girl was quick to get up, running right next to Matthew and was going to ask a million questions if he hadn't put his hand over her mouth.

"Sorry Taylor but, inside voices please?" Matthew politely requested, getting a rapid nod from the girl. "Okay, I'm going to take my hand off your mouth, will you behave?" At the second nod, he'd release his grasp on her, the girl taking a deep breath before speaking again.

"Is she really tall? Does she shine like she does on stage? Is she really a Slayer? Is her hair and eyes recall pink or-?" Taylor was then stopped again as Matthew clasped her mouth with his hand again, sighing but keeping a smile on his face.

"Sorry to say this Taylor, but I don't really talk to Sakura that much. I will admit she's pretty, she seems to wear dresses or casual wear with shorts, never really liked her music but she talks calmly, she doesn't shine last I checked, and the last I'm willing to say is that she is a Slayer but more as a formality."

"What's formality?" Taylor asked as Matthew took his hand off her.

"It means she isn't like me and Reitia, but she can turn on a Hundred like us and use energy." He explained.

"Oooooooh, okay!" Taylor would nod before smiling. "Do you think I could meet her one day?"

"Sakura will only meet kids who finish their vegetables." Matthew said, smirking knowingly as the girl froze.

"Th-that's not fair!"

"Life's not fair. Now go finish your dinner." The hybrid would laugh as his little sister pouted, patting her head as she turned. "If you finish, I'll be sure to put in a good word for you next time I see Sakura."

"…Promise?"

"Pinky swear." He'd answer, holding his pinky finger out for her. She remained turned, but relented and turned to wrap her own pinky around his, giggling as she did.

"It's a promise!" Matthew smiled gently as he watched his younger sister run back to the kids table, pausing when she picked up a piece of broccoli before steeling herself and taking a bite.

"I almost wish we knew Sakura was on Little Garden sooner, getting Taylor to eat her vegetables is impossible without her big brother to convince her." Fiona laughed. "Thank you Matthew, you always seem to have a way with them."

"Eh, I used to hate them too growing up."

"Oh don't remind us." Fiona and Ornstein both groaned at the distant memory, the latter's shoulders slumping as Fiona continued. "You used to be so stubborn on eating food you didn't like; you'd even manage to psych yourself into vomiting perfectly fine food."

"I was a harsh negotiator, can't ignore that."

"Harsh is way to put it, ruthless feels more appropriate." Ornstein stated. "But now look at you, an upstanding young man and a skilled Slayer. You've come a long way."

"I haven't gone far enough; the last mission was a failure." Matthew responded, taking a sip of water as he did.

"But you all came out alive, and there's now three Hunters in captivity. Even if the hive wasn't completely destroyed, it was far from a failure."

"The objective wasn't complete; it was a failure." The hybrid shot back, silence filling the room as everyone looked between the two.

"…I suppose, but there's more to success than just an objective."

"There is nothing but the objective in a mission and we failed." Matthew asserted before picking his spoon up, going back to eating. "There's nothing else to it."

* * *

"You know, you really put a sour mood in dinner when you talked about your mission." Ornstein stated as he rolled up to Matthew, the hybrid sitting in his father's study with a book in hand.

"I simply put it as it was, everyone else took it as that because they couldn't follow it." Matthew responded, looking up from his book to speak to Ornstein. "I don't see the problem in what I said."

"Aside from the fact that you think you failed in a mission with odds heavily stacked against you?" His father spoke, raising an eyebrow as he did. "I read the full report, I know everything from everyone's perspective. The hell that night had been was beyond what you were ready for."

"…Do mom and the others know?"

"Of course not, I couldn't bring myself to tell them you and Reitia could've died." The Lord answered. "They're stressed enough with all the gossip around the Anti-Slayer organizations and the rumor of an impending invasion."

"You should have told them, keeping it a secret is pointless."

"What would I tell them Matthew? That my father is alive? That he attempted to take you to be tortured and twisted by Him? That he had Oristin sic a Pygmy Variant at you with a form we hadn't seen before?" Ornstein questioned. "How do you think your mother would've reacted? Or your brothers and sisters for that matter? They would've been terrified and scared helpless for you."

"But it's better than to keep secrets. They'll be forced to face the real world sooner or later."

"Matthew, they aren't even ten. Ethan is only nine, how could you say that?"

"I got the reality check when I was nine."

"That was different Matthew, you and I both know that. Gods, you know I never would have let that happen if I knew what was going on."

"I know, but it did happen. And it could happen to them too."

"You know damn well I won't let that happen."

"And neither will I." Matthew nodded, his eyes narrowing as he put his book down on a nightstand and stood up. "I was too weak last time, but now I have an idea of what I'm dealing with. And with that, I can level the field."

"You didn't come to visit." Ornstein said hurt, looking to his eldest son with sorrowful eyes.

"I need everything you have on the Nameless King, as well as Oristin and anything regarding the Dark Soul. Pygmies, the Abyss, everything." Matthew detailed, walking through the bookshelves across the room as he did, picking out the books he recognized and had information on the mentioned subjects. "I need to familiarize myself with it again, and in greater detail. So I have to ask that you allow me to see inside your vault."

"Perhaps after dessert? Fiona is making your favorite brownies." Ornstein offered, wheeling towards his son before the hybrid moved to pick out another book.

"Maybe another time. The Darksign, is that related more to the Dark Soul or Abyss?" Matthew asked, brushing off Ornstein's request in favor of questioning the book he had in hand. "Never mind, I should take it as well to be safe. Along with that I should also see if there's any signs of a Dark Sigil or-"

"Matthew, slow down." Ornstein stated, reaching his son and halting him once he got close. "I understand wanting to know more about Him and my father, even the Pygmy, but why the interest in the Abyss? Artorian's control is fine and the necessary information is only needed for dire circumstances."

"He lost himself over Claire's near death, he can't be trusted with it anymore." The hybrid answered, flipping through a book on the origin of the Dragon Slayers. "His soul has also been drastically tainted, he's far beyond the stage an Abysswalker should be at his age. He's nearing late term stage and has shown minimal adjustment with the Abyss as a whole. Calling him an Abysswalker is a compliment at this point, he's just a container trapping it, ready to burst at a moment's notice."

"You can't say that for certain, Gwyn expected Artorias to be consumed decades before he had Artorian and-"

"Why are you letting Carver have a kid?" Matthew asked, interrupting his father. "Carver is a Vessel; Lord Gwyn has specifically stated a Vessel is not allowed to reproduce. The only acceptation is if the strain of the Abyss they are made from is jeopardized. So why is he having a kid?"

"…It's not for that reason." Ornstein answered, although disappointed as he did. "He's been a loyal Slayer and a brave warrior for almost two decades now. He's been through both the First and Second Attack, and was even a Vessel before that, fighting the Savage that would land in Lordran. He's fought more than his fair share and I believe he's earned the privilege of having his own child."

"But you're risking the birth of a potential Abysswalker, one that the Lords will have no control over." Matthew argued, looking to his father. "A human's body is too weak to handle the full power of the Abyss; the child may be broken when it turns ten. Why give it that false idea of a life."

"We don't know what humans are truly capable of. I've seen humans bear more of the Abyss than countless Lords have. They're resilient."

"Their souls are unrivaled in will, but their bodies aren't powerful enough. The human addition may be the reason why Artorian's struggling with the Abyss after only eighteen years. It's too much of a risk at this point."

"He has his parent's shared will and strengths, he won't fall as easily as you may think."

"I used to think many people were unshakable, but one mistake is all it takes to shatter right then and there. Too much pressure and the foundation crumbles."

"…So that's what this is about." Ornstein sighed. "This isn't about doing what's right, this about appearing favorable in Gwyn's eyes."

"You made the claim, not me."

"Matthew, there's a reason I didn't protest when I was stripped of my rank and position. It took my last order to see what was wrong." Ornstein stated to his son. "I sacrificed ten Lord lives to save millions of humans, I stand by my decision because it was the right choice."

"You weren't the one who faced the brunt of your failure!" Matthew shouted in an outburst, surprising himself at the flux of emotions. He'd place a hand over his eye, feeling out his tension before taking deep breaths to relax himself. "I know you believe what you did was right, and everyone in the United States of Liberia does as well. But the fact of the matter is that one of the Lords you refused to rescue was Lady Gwynevere, you sacrificed a member of royal blood and forsworn your people."

"No one person is worth millions of lives. It took seeing Artorias break the first time for me to realize that." Ornstein admitted, falling silent as he allowed Matthew to look through his study without interruption.

The hybrid continued to look through and find every book he felt he'd need, even taking old and dusty text before having assembled everything he needed. "I'll come back later to search through your vault, I need everything I can to properly prepare for the Abyss." As Matthew walked past his father, a pinch of guilt struck through him, seeing the elder Lord look down in disappointment.

"I'm sorry for losing my temper, it isn't your fault for what happened to me. But I refuse to let that happen to any of them. Ethan, Cameron, Tyler and Taylor, Amy… I won't let them suffer for an unjust crime. And to do that, I need to regain our family's rank."

"I know, you're not one to think selfishly." Ornstein responded quietly. "Everything you do, you do for them. And before we had them, you did the same for Reitia. I just wish you treated them more as your siblings than objectives. They miss you more each time you leave."

"I know… but I have to do this."

"Are you planning on leaving already?" Ornstein asked as Matthew stepped to open the door, the hybrid pausing at the question. "You know, you promised Ethan that you would teach him to ride his bike. Now would be a great time for that. You have four days after today."

"He still hasn't learned?"

"Nope, he refuses to be taught by anyone but you. And Cameron was hoping you'd teach her as well."

Matthew didn't respond to that, instead remaining in place with a somber look. He knew due to his commitment as a Slayer and his drive to regain his family's lost honor that he would barely get to see his little brothers and sisters. He barely left Little Garden to visit, most of the time its them coming to him when he actually sees his family. But he also knew the commitment was needed, to prove himself to the Lords required more sacrifice than he's ever made before. And despite what it made him feel, he knew he had to soldier on.

And so he'd step out the door, closing it and leaving Ornstein alone.

The Lord sighed in sorrow, looking to an old photo with him in his golden armor, carrying Matthew in one arm and Reitia in another, the last photo he took before the Second Attack officially began. A bright smile was on all three's faces, Matthew's the brightest as he sat proudly on his father's right shoulder.

 _'I'm sorry Matthew. It's my fault you're like this, I wasn't there when you needed me the most.'_

* * *

The next morning, the Ornisium family were all sitting around the table eating breakfast. As usual the kids were all as active as ever, full of energy after a full night's rest. As they talked and laughed about their favorite shows, Ornstein was looking out the window, a somber expression across his face as he did.

After Matthew left, he did return later for the files in Ornstein's vault, the Lord letting him find what he wanted. Most of the information was only meant for specific eyes, but considering the apparent deterioration Artorian was going through at a young age, he couldn't fault his son's sudden interest in what he could find. But even then, he was disappointed in his son. Even with as little sleep as they had, Matthew would always be the first one up so that he could be productive for the full day. Him not being here led the Lord to believe his son was already heading back for Little Garden.

"Are you okay?" Fiona would ask, noticing Ornstein prodding at his eggs rather than eating.

"Huh? Yeah I'm fine." He answered, sighing as he placed his fork down. "I'm just… thinking is all."

"It's about Matthew, isn't it?"

"I just wish I could get through to him. But I also know that I'm the one person he won't listen to." The Lord explained. "Maybe I wasn't as cut out for parenting as I thought I was."

"You and I both know Matthew values your advice, he's just at a difficult point in his life." Fiona responded, placing her hand gently on her husband's. "He needs to decide what he really wants in life. It isn't something you can change about him; there's no forcing it, we can only hope he accepts our guidance and makes the best choice he can for himself."

"I know…" He nodded, turning his hand to hold onto Fiona's. "I know, I just hope he doesn't take as long as I did to see what was right in front of me."

"Hey dad, where's Matthew?" Ethan would ask, getting his parent's attention. "He's usually up right now, did he go somewhere for you?"

"Yeah, we were hoping he would finally help us ride our bikes!" Cameron added in.

The two parents looked to each other, hesitant to answer their kids question. But they knew better than to hide it, so Ornstein took it upon himself to explain the situation of their oldest brother.

"Kids, I'm sorry but Matthew's-"

"Too tired to help you this morning." The entire room turned to see Matthew walking in, rubbing his eyes before yawning.

"You're awake!"

"Yeah, sorry I didn't get up sooner. I spent the whole night reading and lost track of time." The hybrid explained, ruffling Ethan and Cameron's hair before going to pour himself a cup of coffee. "If you two are willing to wait, I'll be awake in an hour or two. Then we'll go to the park and I'll make sure you're biking laps around the other kids."

"Okay!"

 _'He stayed…'_ Ornstein thought in surprise, looking to his son as he finished pouring his own coffee before walking to the table and sitting between his father and Amy.

"I apologize for waking up so late, it was irresponsible of me to stay awake for so long." Matthew said, looking to his parents. "I guess I got too absorbed into my book when I could've done so later and…"

"It's okay Matthew." Fiona responded, smiling to her son. "The important thing is you're here now. Now please, eat up. You have a busy day teaching your little brothers and sisters."

"Thank you." Matthew nodded.

As he would fill his plate, Ornstein would grow a small smile, seeing the tired stare of his son go away as Amy pulled on his sleeve. She showed him a crayon drawing of their whole family, to which the older of the two thanked her and patted her head, the exhaustion leaving his face slightly. Turning back to his own breakfast, the Lord would eat with a look of satisfaction. One his son didn't miss and sighed in response to, shaking his head while trying to fight down a small smirk.

 _'Now that's a sight to remember.'_ Fiona thought, seeing both Ornstein and Matthew eat in peace together, not a shred of tension between them as they smiled. Something she hasn't seen for years.

"I'm sorry." Matthew said quietly, feeling Ornstein then place his hand on his shoulder.

"I know. I'm sorry too."

* * *

 **(A/N): Okay, this certainly took longer to write than I intended. But the hiatus was a warning even after the last chapter so I hope it's understandable. Along with that, I was very cautious on writing this chapter, Matthew's a character I want to get right and rushing this would've been a challenge. This chapter also had more to do with Matthew's relationships outside of Little Garden, making it an extreme filler that came slow to write at the same time. But I also didn't mind it, I enjoyed exploring the dynamics I can give him as well as bringing up some characters for later.**

 **But at last I've gotten this out and am hoping my writing spirit is fully back. I already know what I'm doing for the next two chapters at least so I have the layout ready. All I need to do is get to work after a bit of my classwork is done. And even though the next couple chapters will be filler as well, I'm more excited to work on them because they will have impact on the next arc as well as future arcs.**

 **I'm also going to get to introduce two characters I've been waiting to in the next chapter. So I hope you'll look forward to it as I am. I also hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you in the next one. Stay safe and be sure to keep healthy! Peace!**


	29. Reunion

"Okay, the housing compartment is fully welded in. All that's left is to attach the prosthetic to the link and connect the nerves." Charlotte would inform, her sitting next to Artorian on an operating table. She had spent the last three hours preforming the surgery required to attach a nerve-synched prosthetic for the hybrid, the bulk of time going to the connection unit for the limb.

"How long will that take?" Laying on the table, Artorian was perfectly calm as he looked up to the bright light over him. He had gritted through most of the operation, painkillers being the only comfort through the grueling process of feeling metal and wiring connect to his nerves' ends.

"This is actually the easiest part." Charlotte answered, getting up and retrieving the shiny new replacement for Artorian's forearm. "Although fair warning, it's the most painful part."

"Please, I'm not a kid Charlotte." He'd chuckle before closing his eyes, steeling himself as he felt the scientist get it into position. "Ready when you are."

"Okay, I'll connect the nerves on go." She nodded, slowly piecing the attachments, stopping at the final procedure. "Three… Two… One!"

"GAH!" The hybrid howled in pain, barely keeping himself from pulling his arm away before she finished. Once it was done though, he'd hold his right arm over his chest and cling onto it with his left, shooting an annoyed glare at Charlotte. "You said you'd don it on go!"

"Yeah, I did." The scientist chuckled as she walked to the sink, taking her bloodied gloves off and tossing them into a bin before washing her hands. "How does the new hand feel?"

"It feels… odd." He admitted, massaging his metal palm while looking to it. "The metal's surprisingly light and warm, although I can't feel my thumb with it."

"Yeah, we haven't fully gotten down the sensation of touch with artificial limbs yet." Charlotte informed, looking over her shoulder to talk. "Although it itself will feel more alive than most prosthetics, it is still a mechanical limb. Be sure to properly maintain it. I'll send the proper maintenance method to you while you're on your break."

"Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for that." Artorian said, testing the movements of his fingers and wrist. The new arm worked perfectly, following his subconscious commands as if it was the real deal. "Anything on our guests?"

"They've refused to talk much to me, and barely say a word to either Mei Mei or Chris."

"Chris volunteered to help watch after them? I thought he was too busy being Claire's-"

"I know what you're going to say. Gross. And yes he felt like offering his time to help would ease them into trusting us. Since both him and Mei Mei aren't Slayers the Hunters may lower their guard around them."

"Fair enough." The hybrid nodded. "Anything else before I head out?"

"I made something extra." Charlotte revealed, pulling something out of her pocket before throwing it at Artorian. He was caught off guard, but managed to catch it before it hit his face. And with it in hand he saw a folded cloth, unfurling it to reveal a military grade strap.

"Okay… what is it?"

"A prototype, I made it awhile ago but never had my hands on what I needed for a full-on test." She revealed, motioning to her back. "Put it on, metal looking side on back and cloth on front." Although slowly, the hybrid followed with the instruction, placing one end of the strap on his shoulder while the other rested at his hip. When she saw it, Charlotte would smirk before going over to the operation table and grab hold of his sword.

"Wait Charlotte let… me…" He slowly let out, his words dying in his mouth as the small scientist lifted the blade with both hands, showing some strain but managing.

"Huh… it's heavier than I remember." She commented on the weight behind it. "Damn, I'm only in my forties and I'm feeling like this? That or I'm out of shape. Maybe both."

"Um… Charlotte?"

"Oh sorry, reminiscing." The scientist said before walking to the hybrid, lifting the sword up to him. "Here, place the blade against the back of the strap. And let's see if I've done it again."

"Sometimes I forget you had enhancements implanted in you." Artorian sighed, getting over the momentary shock of seeing such a small woman pick up a Lord's weapon and taking it from her in his robotic hand. Putting it over his shoulder, he'd place the blade down and hear a faint hum. After a moment of realization, the hybrid released his hold on the sword, and was surprised at the lack of metal cluttering. "You actually did it."

"Hehe, the first magnetic holster for a Lord's weapon. I know, I know, I impress myself sometimes." The scientist smiled to herself, shifting her glasses as the hybrid rolled his shoulders to test the magnets strength. "You cannot believe how difficult it was developing that. Lord metals aren't easy to come around, and they really like to screw with magnetic fields."

"I'd buy it, even Lords haven't gotten it down right. I can't believe you actually managed this." Artorian chuckled, patting the scientist's head before turning. "Thanks Charlotte, this'll make moving around easier."

"Oi, I'm not some kid or a high schooler with a crush." The scientist commented at his little gesture, getting a laugh from him.

"No, I guess you're not. But I mean it Charlotte, second best gift you ever gave me." He responded, giving her one last smile before closing the door behind him, getting the scientist to look down.

"Cheap shot Artorian. Cheap shot." She muttered, although smiling faintly as she took her glasses off.

* * *

"Damn, it got later than I thought." Artorian commented as he walked across the park in Little Garden's central district. The moon was high up, and a second look at his PDA put it close to midnight. The surgery didn't feel nearly as long as it was, putting him off.

 _'Well, I guess at least our shore leave is tomorrow so we can actually go on break.'_ He shrugged, relaxing himself as he walked the path for the park. _'Never thought I'd be heading back to Yamato so soon after finally getting out, but I guess I did make a promise.'_

"Guess all I have to do is burn some time until our plane leaves."

"Artorian?" Hearing his name be called, the hybrid turned around in response, surprised at who he saw.

"Claire? What are you doing up still?" He asked before taking a look at the blonde, seeing her in a running shorts and a sleeveless shirt. "Jogging?"

"Of course, is that strange?"

"Most people don't go jogging five minutes to midnight. You can be quite the weirdo sometimes you know that?"

"W-Well you're out this late!" She shouted, defending herself as she pointed to the silver haired hybrid.

"I don't sleep, and I just got out of surgery."

"Just got out of surgery?" It was then that Claire realized he was now sporting two arms again, taking note of the silver shine on his forearm. "Dr. Dimandias finally finished the prosthetic."

"Making it wasn't a challenge, finding time to perform a three-hour surgery was what really kept her busy." He answered, raising the arm to better show it. "What do ya think? Almost feels like I never lost it."

"Almost?"

"My nerves are connected to the limb, but that's solely to operate the fingers and wrist." He explained. "No sense of touch as far as I'm aware of. Couldn't feel my hand when I touched it.

"I see, medical advances are far more advanced then they were just a few years ago, but recreating senses is still a ways away." She nodded, motioning to the limb with her hand. "May I?"

"Curious about it?" He'd ask, smirking as he held his hand out to her.

"I'll admit, synthetic prosthetics have been a pass by interest. However most people I know aren't reckless enough to lose a limb for it." She took a jab, placing both her hands on the metal. "It's cold."

"Well it is metal."

"But these prosthetics are meant to mimic the body temperature of the wearer." She countered, looking to him. "I'm not claiming it's anything bad, I'm just surprised that with you being a Variant your body temperature is lower than the average person."

"Eh, there's things about me that exceed my virus." He shrugged. "Can't be helped, but according to Emilia it feels relaxing."

"I suppose… wait what do you mean by that?"

"So Claire, you didn't answer why you were out so late." Artorian responded, dodging the question and getting a measured glance from her.

"I couldn't sleep, I spent nearly sixteen hours working on setting up security and all of the activities for the Founding Festival." The blonde answered, crossing her arms as she looked to the side. "Along with the previous four days spent doing the same, I couldn't help it anymore and needed to get moving. I've barely managed to have time to train and eat, so I wanted to take the time to enjoy myself."

"Sheesh, a workaholic as always I see." The hybrid chuckled.

"Maybe, but breaks like this make it bearable." She admitted. "I can't sit still long enough to sleep, and working out gives me something to do. It's the best I can put up with."

"Well, if you're not doing anything I might have an idea."

"Forgive me if I'm not confident in your idea." Claire responded, looking at him from the corner of her eyes as he smirked.

"Think you can finally give me one of those lessons you promised?"

"Huh?"

* * *

"This is-! Garbage-!"

"You need to keep your head up, lowering your head is natural but if you're not going to hold your breath you have to elevate yourself."

"Easier said than-pah! Done!"

"Well you're not going to get better if you don't try."

A few minutes after running in to each other, the two Slayers were now in the pool behind Claire's estate. With the dividers in the pool removed, the two were able to move freely in the water, more for the blonde as she held onto Artorian's hands to help him learn to peddle properly.

Seeing that the two were alone for the first time since their mission, the hybrid figured it was the best time to take Claire's offer to help teach him to swim. On one hand, it was the best time as neither was doing anything and had no need to worry with the lights illuminating for her. On the other hand, Artorian was almost comedically bad at swimming, evident by his poor form and struggling to listen to her recommendations.

She had always caught on that the Slayer was stubborn, but sometimes stubbornness and pride can be blurred. And his pride was certainly getting the better of him, to the extent that teaching him felt harder than herding cats.

After roughly of hour trying to get it right the two took a break, the hybrid sitting on his recliner while Claire was laying back, looking up to the night sky.

"So… not good?"

"If I had a comparison, you seemed much more cooperative in our first duel than now." The blonde answered honestly.

"Yikes, that is bad."

"But I don't get it. You're prideful, but I haven't seen you ignore directions as much as you were." She stated, sitting up and looking to him. "You seemed too distracted, honestly I would think you were focusing on anything other than swimming."

"My mind's been a bit busy is all." He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Having everyone ready to head out for break alone makes me feel I need to be organized. Old habits from keeping tabs on Karen. It started as just me and Karen, then the hospital staff said Miharu had to come and now Emilia and Sakura are coming… thing's just got a little complicated is all."

"Where are you going for break?" Claire asked, getting an annoyed sigh from Artorian as he laid down on his chair.

"Yamato, I promised Karen we'd go to the Bon Festival when she was healthy enough to."

"So you're going home for break?"

"I wouldn't call it home, rather a shit location I was forced to stay in." He groaned, closing his eyes as he held his hands behind his head. "Anywhere else would make things easier, but I made a promise and I'll keep it."

"How noble of you." Claire laughed, smiling as she looked to the young hybrid.

"What about you?" Artorian asked, opening an eye to look at her. "Liddy, Erica and Matthew will be back in a few hours. How will the famous Perfect Queen of Little Garden spend her summer break?"

"Well, while the security and activities of the Founding Festival are done, the schedule for Slayers has yet to be written up. Along with determining the proper pairings for active duty." She explained, crossing her arms under her bust as she cupped her chin with her fingers. "We also need to account for the added security that Britannia and Warslran are offering. And then finish planning everyone's break shifts accordingly with requested times."

"…Are you serious?"

"What? Everything hasn't been set up yet." She responded, raising an eyebrow to Artorian's dubious stare. "And as Little Garden's commander, I have a duty to oversee everything. I don't require a summer break, not while there's still work to do."

"…Nope, fuck that." The hybrid stated as he sat back up, reaching for the table next to him and grabbing his PDA. He would type in it for a few seconds, confusing her as he browsed through. "Prices went up, not surprising. But I suppose this is why I work in my free time."

"What are you…"

"Shush." He responded, holding his robotic finger to her lips as he continued typing. "Adding in last minute along with getting the right seat… and the fare for possessing a Hundred… there." He finished, tapping prominently one last time before smirking, taking his finger off Claire's lips as he looked to her.

The stare confused Claire, but that confusion went to shock when her PDA went off, looking to her table as she saw the screen light up. Reaching for the device, she'd keep an eye on Artorian before having to put in her password. When she checked the notification, her eyes widened in surprise and shifted immediately back to him, staring agape at the hybrid.

"Y-You didn't!"

* * *

"Artorian… why is she here?" Sakura asked, standing next to Karen and Miharu with the former in her wheelchair. Who she was referring to was Claire, the blonde awkwardly standing next to Artorian and Emilia. They were all standing in Little Garden's departure lobby, awaiting the plane that would take them to Yamato.

"Oh, that's easy Sakura." The hybrid smiled, patting Claire's shoulder as he spoke. "Claire here seemed rather lonely, and as the generous knight I am I offered her to come with us for the trip."

"Uh-huh, and?" Emilia asked, giving him a measuring stare from his side.

"Oh come now, can't I just be nice to our commander? After all she's done for us?"

"Like scar your forearms?"

"Or bash your breakfast out of you?"

"Hey, it's surprisingly less than the negatives you two caused." He countered, getting the idol and Slayer to look away in embarrassment. "And besides, it's not like I hold any grudges on her over it. I don't expect any of you to be angry at anyone I clearly have no issues with." He then sighed, taking his hand off Claire.

"I apologize if I'm intruding, if you don't want me to come than I am willing to stay and-" Claire attempted to respond, getting stopped as the hybrid slapped her shoulder.

"Oh no, you're not getting out of it that easily." He stated. "Look, all joking aside I invited her because she needs a break. And if she isn't taken off this stupid boat she won't be able to relax. So I thought coming with us is the best choice, finally let her cool her jets since our mission."

"Is that really it, you want to help her?" Karen asked, looking to him. When she saw his nod, she turned to Claire and gave her a smile. "If he's okay with it, then I guess I am too."

"Thank you, I-"

"I'm still mad at you for hurting Artorian though!" The girl huffed, looking to the side with a pout.

"Hehe, don't worry." Emilia chuckled, elbowing her side playfully. "She's hard to get to get on the good side of. I think only Sakura and Miharu got that right away."

"You're still on the watch list, Crossfode." Karen noted, gesturing between her eyes and the Slayer. Although due to her nature, everyone couldn't help but laugh at the cute display of warning.

"I see… I still think I should at least be helping coordinate everything."

"We're fine Claire." Liddy responded; her, Erica and Matthew all in uniform as they approached the group. "You've done more than your fair share; we can handle everything else from here."

"Liddy's right, we're fully capable of taking care of things while you're away." Matthew added in, elbowing Erica's back as he did. "Isn't that right Erica."

"Y-Yes, of course." The bespectacled Slayer stuttered, shifting her glasses as she looked to the blonde. "The rest of the affairs aren't an issue. You should just… enjoy your time with Artorian and the others."

"You're absolutely certain?"

"Gods Claire, take your vacation." Matthew sighed, huffing before giving her a smile. "You earned it, so give yourself a break."

"Okay, but I want the reports once everything's finished. Are we clear?"

"Of course." Liddy responded, giving the blonde a salute before looking to Artorian. "Please make sure she at the least gets the right amount of sleep. According to LiZa she's been skipping on a few hours."

"Liza told you!?"

"Don't worry Liddy, I'll make sure she gets her sleep." Artorian said, winking to her before pressing his hands on both Claire and Emilia's backs, pushing them ahead to the others. "Now come on, the flight leaves in an hour and I want to be at the gate ahead of time."

"Jeez, you're so old. It doesn't take that long to get through security." Sakura joked.

"When you're traveling with Hundreds and aren't certified for free carry like an idol it can." He countered, everyone moving to the security gate and out of hearing.

"Okay, you can break down now Erica." Matthew permitted, covering his ears as he braced himself.

"It isn't fair!" The brunette whined. "If she needed a break so bad she could've come back with me to Liberia! It would've been great for her! Now she's going with Artorian and it's going to put me in another disadvantage!"

"There, there Erica." Liddy comforted, patting her shoulder as she held onto her partner and turned them around to walk out. "When she's back I'm sure there won't be too much of a difference in their relationship. Artorian seems genuine on wanting to help her relax, I doubt he'll make an advances."

"Y-You think?"

"I do."

"I don't. He's a flirt machine, he's probably dropped ten pick-up lines since he walked away."

"Nooooooo!"

* * *

"Yoo-hoo!" Mei Mei cheered as she opened a door in the subdeck, a bright smile on her face as she walked in with several platters of food. "Lunch is up! I hope you're all hungry!"

"Jeez, she's still shouting like that…" Krovanh muttered as he picked his ear, looking away as the cyber-cat maid and Chris entered, the latter carrying only a single tray that had several beverages on them.

As Charlotte stated, the Hunters were being kept quarantined into a single room in Little Garden. However the room was less of a cell and more of a lounge room; with plenty of space, three beds for them, a couch and TV even to keep them occupied. It seemed more like they were quests than prisoners.

"Today's theme is Liberian food, so I hope you are excited to try something new again." Mei Mei announced happily, placing most of the trays across the table in the room, Chris placing the beverages down for them to pour on their own.

"Dr. Dimandias personally recommended the entrees, she said they were all quite enjoyable." Chris explained, looking to the Hunters who were sitting across the couch, the boy of the group giving him a dirty look.

"Like we give two shits what she has to say."

"Now, now, there's no need to be rude." Chris chuckled nervously. "After all, you've been treated well thus far. Why the hostility?"

"Because if I could, I'd ring your neck." Krovanh stated, growling at the boy while flashing his sharpened teeth, getting Chris to look away worried.

"Krovanh." A dark aura formed behind the Hunter and his instincts flared in panic, getting him to look back and stare in surprise that it was Mei Mei, the maid giving him a measured stare before looking to the foot table in front of him.

 _'W-What kind of presence is this!?'_ He thought, the Hunter sweating nervously as the presence behind the cyber-cat maid remained strong.

"You and Nakri didn't drink your milk." That pressure seemed to slowly fizzle out at her words, looking to the two glasses of milk, Nesat's glass empty.

"And why should I? Garbage tastes like shit anyways." Krovanh responded, looking to the side to avoid staring directly at her.

 _'What the hell was that? Was I just imagining things there?'_

"That is not an excuse, and you will watch your tone young man!" Mei Mei scolded, surprising the Hunter as she pinched his cheek and began to pull. "You need to drink your milk if you're going to grow, both you and your cousin need nutrition in order to develop properly."

"Well maybe we don't care about that!" Nakri shouted, remaining adamant on their defense of not drinking while Nesat sat on her side of the couch in silence.

"No excuses!" Mei Mei responded, reaching and pinching Nakri's cheek as well, having the two Hunters wincing and attempting to pull away from her iron grip. "You're both young, you need to take care of your bodies to be healthy. And I will not let you all treat yourselves poorly and disregard perfectly reasonable nutrition."

"Owowowowowow! Let go you crazy bitch!"

"And then there's that!" She continued to scold, pulling tighter on their cheeks. "You need to watch your language! You swear so much and it's discourteous to both of us! It's rude and you should know better. Now apologize to Chris for what you said to him."

"N-No Mei Mei, there's no need for that." Chris said, wincing at seeing the Hunters struggle to free themselves. He knew well that Mei Mei possessed many talents, and while many of them were in caretaking, she certainly knew how to discipline. Her pinches were extremely painful, with strength behind them expected of a Slayer with an armament activated.

"No Chris, they need to learn to appreciate what you're doing." She stated. "You are being very courteous and threatening you was disrespectful. So they need to apologize!"

"Aaaah, fuck fine! Sorry for threatening to rip your throat out!" Krovanh shouted, relenting as he couldn't stand the intensity of the maid's pinch.

"Y-Yeah, damn it! We're sorry now please let us go!"

"No, no, without swearing!"

"Ah come the fuck-GAH!"

"No swearing!"

"SORRY!"

"There we go." Mei Mei said happily, letting the two go and returning to her bright smile.

"Ah god, that hurt." Krovanh muttered as he rubbed his cheek, numbing out the pain.

"What the heck is she? That should not have hurt that much." Nakri added in, jumping when Mei Mei appeared in front of them.

"Well I'm a few things. I'm Charlotte's assistant, Chris' caretaker, and Claire's former caretaker. But currently I think it'd be best to refer to me as an assistant." She explained, keeping the Hunters on edge.

 _'She's too strong and fast, there's no way this chick is human.'_ Krovanh thought to himself, attempting to calm himself as she walked away.

"Is there anything else you need?" Chris asked.

"Go suck a…" Krovanh started, only to pause when Mei Mei stopped short of the door. "I mean… no I think we're good." Hearing a giggle from the cyber-cat maid brought a sigh of relief to Krovanh, getting a nervous laugh from Chris.

"I realize we're technically not on the same side, but I don't see why you're acting as hostile as you are." Chris stated. "We haven't done anything to deserve it; you've been fed well, you have a comfortable room, we've been treating you well."

"Oh so we should just be grateful to the dogs of Warslran and act like everything Slayers have done is just okay?" Krovanh responded, giving the kid a dirty glare.

"Well, I think giving them a chance wouldn't be bad." Chris admitted. "Slayers have abused their power in the past, but everyone on Little Garden would never do such a thing as Al-Salaam had. Guilt by association isn't a good rule to live by."

"And where do you think you can say that?" Nakri spat, snarling at the boy. "You don't know the first thing about what we went through, you've been cared for your whole life. How would you react if you ran into someone in the same occupation that took away your life? No one can forgive Slayers for their corruption."

"Well I can." Chris said, the whole room going quiet. Even Mei Mei remained silent, looking down as Chris responded to Nakri's question with a straight face.

"What?"

"I have lived a good life; I can't claim I have been unfairly treated by anyone too harshly." He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck before continuing. "But my family has been wronged by the Slayers, but I can't blame all of them. Claire and many others have treated me well, Artorian had helped save your lives from the Scorned, and they worked with your sister to defeat the Dragonfly."

Chris would then walk past the couch, stopping by the door beside Mei Mei as they prepared to leave. "I don't know what you've been through, according to Artorian's report it was something horrible, but he refused to go into detail. All I can say is, I understand what it's like to be unjustly hurt by Slayers and I truly hate those that commit atrocities of any kind. But I could never hold that same anger towards Claire or any of the others. Not every Slayer is bad, much like not every person is."

"And that's all Slayers are, people. There are those that abuse their power, and those that help people. Destroying all of them doesn't help anyone, it just means the balance of power changes position to people who are just as likely to do wrong. That's all I want to say for now." Chris said before walking out, leaving without looking back.

The Hunters were left in silence, Mei Mei closing the door behind her as she followed the boy. They couldn't put a reason as to why they believed a word he said, but a subconscious instinct made them think every word he spoke was the truth. A chill down their spins that was felt when he talked about his anger. It was genuine, whether they could understand fully where it comes from or not.

"…You two were rude." Nesat would finally speak up, walking over to the table and loading food onto her plate.

"Oh come on, are you serious Nesat?" Krovanh responded. "They aren't our friends; it doesn't matter if they are keeping us in a fancy room. We're still their prisoners. They're our enemies!"

"Maybe, or maybe we're just two sides with different ideals being put against each other?"

"Um… isn't that what being enemies is about?" Nakri asked.

"If we have to ask, do we really have the right to call them our enemies?"

"Ngh, we'll talk about this later." Krovanh growled, getting up and stepping next to Nesat as he put food on his own plate. "I'm too hungry right now to debate, but I shouldn't have to remind you why Slayers are the enemy. And besides, we joined Vitaly for this very reason."

 _'But Vitaly isn't our ally either…'_ Nesat thought, conflicted on the position they were in. She herself had plenty of reason to despise Slayers, after she lost her eye she could've easily been blinded with hatred. But ever since the Zwei Islands, she's began to question where her anger is now being pointed at.

She knew that while they were wary of her, Krovanh and Nakri had enough faith in Vitaly to give them the power to change the world. To remove Slayers from any position of power and give this world the peace it deserves. To free them from the threat of Savage and advance humanity to become self-reliant. But what she saw in Vitaly's lab the last time, the work she was working on outside of her Artificial Variant research sent a deathly chill down her entire body.

 _'What she's working on… whatever she's working for, it can't be humanity.'_ She thought, her memories flashing to the dark room that was Vitaly's main laboratory, remembering the countless monstrosities she saw contained in capsules suspended on the ceiling. Or the five on the ground, the cold eyes that stared back at her.

* * *

"Wow, this place looks busy!" Emilia said in awe, looking around the airport to see countless people all moving around, most coming off flights or waiting for their family to make it.

"The Bon Festival is popular in Yamato, especially after the Second Attack." Artorian explained, rubbing her head as he stepped past her.

"Still, this many people around is distracting." Claire commented.

"Just stick together and it won't be a problem. But the important issue now, who here speaks and reads Yamatan?" Artorian questioned, raising his own hand in gesture. Obviously Karen and Sakura both raised their hands, having grown up in the country.

"I learned specific phrases for medical procedures, unfortunately I can't read the symbols very well." Miharu answered.

"I… well I only remember how to speak it." Emilia admitted, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly.

"I've never been in Yamato; I learned a bit, but I don't recall most of the casual phrases." Claire responded.

"Okay, so worst case Claire is broken off. Luckily a large chunk of Yamato speaks two to three languages so anyone who doesn't speak it should at least be able to ask for directions." Artorian informed the three, gesturing everyone to follow as he took the lead through the crowd. "But it's still best that if you head out to take one of us who reads it with you."

"I call dibs with Artorian!" Emilia announced, rushing up and hugging his left arm.

"W-Wait a second! You can't just do that!" Claire exclaimed.

"Uh, yes I can. I called dibs." Emilia responded, smirking at the blonde proudly. "So it means I get to be partnered with Artorian."

"That is hardly the proper way of handling things Crossfode! As the host Artorian has the responsibility of deciding groups!"

"Yeah, so why not back off and let us decide!" Sakura added in, hugging onto Artorian's right arm, her and the crossdresser glaring at one another competitively.

"Oh yeah? And why should we let you be deciding?"

"Because just like Artorian I know the language perfectly, and I serve as a representative for our group." She stated. "So we'll come up with the plan for groups, so sit your butt out of this Emile."

"Okay, before we cause a scene two minutes into the trip may I explain things?" Artorian asked, looking to everyone as he did. When everyone got quiet, he sighed briefly in exhaustion. "Good, there's no need to plan the groups. I already had them thought up during the flight. If we aren't together it is as follows: the first group is Claire and Karen."

"What!? Why!?" Karen protested, the blonde's shoulders slacking down at the girl's displeasure.

"The second group is Emile and Sakura."

"No way!"

"And finally I will be traveling with Miharu." He finished, going through the group layout before responding to the shared arguments. "As for why these groups were made, it is very simple. As it stands, we have three combatants and three non-combatants. And seeing as two of the non-combatants will serve as the translators and guides, it is best to have active fighters with them. This gives a good balance and besides, these groups are only recommendations for if we aren't together. But I would prefer that one of us is with you three at all times." Artorian added, gesturing between him, Claire and Emilia in regard to the others.

"Do you think we may be attacked?" Claire asked, getting a nod from Artorian.

"With me around, most likely. I didn't exactly leave town on the best terms with everyone. Hell, most of the damn country wouldn't mind taking a crack at me." He explained, getting sympathetic looks from Karen and Miharu. "With a large group it's less likely, but if I'm present it'll happen sooner or later."

"Did you do something to aggravate everyone?"

"Maybe by the sins of the father; most times I get in a fight I'm throwing the punch second." He answered. "Yamato has a bit of a delinquency problem, a lot of angry kids who were orphaned after the Second Attack. So don't be surprised if people look for a problem rather than already having one."

"Comforting."

"Just don't make the wrong enemy and you'll be okay."

* * *

"Is this the place?" Emilia asked, being the last one out of the taxi. The group had been riding together for roughly thirty minutes, and after such a long flight most were getting tired of the constant transportation.

"Yep, we'll be staying here for the trip." He answered, pulling out his wallet and handing the money to the driver. The action caught Miharu's attention, the nurse noticing him paying what seemed to be well above the amount their trip should have. But a single glance of the driver's annoyed expression told enough, the Slayer walking away as the car drove off.

"What exactly is here?" Sakura questioned, being the one pushing Karen's wheelchair up the stone path.

"The best place I could find that wouldn't have any trouble with us." Artorian responded, taking the front as he carried both his and Karen's bags. The path they were following was rough, the stone having seen better days with all the cracks and chunks missing. Ahead Claire caught sight of the building it led to, getting her to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

 _'A dojo?'_

"Yeah it isn't the best place, but it'll be good enough." The hybrid commented, having read the atmosphere and the questions that would've likely came from the group. "I'm not allowed at most hotels in town, the closest is an hour away from where the festival will be held. So I figured I'd call in a favor and get us to stay here. Bastard has enough futons for us to sleep in and an extra room for Karen."

"Who?"

"So you are here!" Miharu was only able to ask the single question before a voice shouted out, the group stopping and looking up to a tree to the side of the stone path.

Standing on the branch of the tree was a young woman in a white and blue martial artist's uniform, a wooden sword in hand as she focused solely on Artorian. She had long red hair, waving in the wind as she looked to the hybrid with resolve, her bright orange eyes glowing in determination.

"You know her?" Miharu asked, Artorian giving her his own confused glance while shrugging his shoulders.

"I always knew you'd come back; I've been training non-stop in preparation for this chance!"

"…Good for you?"

"And now that you're here, we'll put this to the test again!" The girl announced, gripping her sword with both hands as she spread her legs in preparation. "Face me!"

"Seriously, you don't know her?" Sakura asked, the group looking to Artorian in confusion.

"I don't remember her, the only person who lived with Bastard was me. I don't recall a young redhead ever staying here." He answered.

"It you won't come to me…" She continued on, narrowing her eyes as she planted her feet. "Then I'll come to you!"

"Wait that tree's always been unsteady, if you jump you'll-" Artorian attempted to warn, but stopped as the girl started to lunge, the branch breaking and her balance being completely thrown off as she was propelled forward.

"Oh no!" The girl realized too late, falling down swiftly thanks to her forward momentum right towards Artorian. The hybrid showed little concern though, the rest all moving away as he just stood calmly. And just as she was about to crash into him, he turned around and reached out, catching her by her ankle and stopping her from crashing onto the ground.

"Whew… that was close." She sighed in relief, placing a hand over her chest. "Thanks for the save."

"Wouldn't have had to if you listened." He said, holding the girl upside down as he remained upright, her looking up to him as he stared down. "So are you going to explain why you just attempted to attack me? Or are you just looney?"

"What do you mean why? I told you we were to face again!" She shouted, pointing her wooden sword up to his chin. "We're having our rematch! You said we'd have it the next time we met!"

"I did?"

"Don't tell me you forgot! It was only three years ago!"

"Three years ago? What are you talking…" The hybrid started to say, but slowed down as the girl was looking up to him. Now with her closer he could get a better look at her face, and when he saw the small strands of yellow in her hair, his eyes widened in realization as he lowered himself to stare closer at her. "Wait, you!?"

"Aha! You do remember me!"

"What the hell are you doing here!?" He shouted, although the smile on his face showed the boy was more excited at seeing the girl, getting several measuring stares from the women around him, the only two smiling being the girl in his grasp and Miharu.

"Training! I've been trying to find you but Shisho said you left after the tournament! Saying something about looking out for yourself and getting away from some annoying lady you didn't want to see anymore!"

"Um Artorian, care to explain?" Emilia asked, getting the two's attention as she forced a smile.

"Huh, oh right her." Artorian muttered before standing straight, holding the martial artist out towards the group, both grinning as the girl waved while inverted. "This is the crazy chick that knocked a tooth out of me during a tournament!"

"And?"

"And what?" Artorian responded. "I never got a name. She kinda showed up in the tournament under a fake alias and I never asked for her real name."

"So you remember her solely on the grounds she knocked a tooth out?" Claire questioned, making sure she understood correctly.

"Yeah."

"…Why?"

"In terms of a straight up fight that was the most someone hit me at that point."

"That's right!" The girl said proudly, crossing her arms under her chest as she smiled confidently. "I was his rival, someone who could push him to his best!"

"I knocked her out of the ring in one swing." He clarified, getting an embarrassed gasp from her.

"It was not that easy!"

"You got the first hit; I got the second. Mine won."

"We fought for five minutes! It was a battle!"

"No, you swung at me for five minutes. I blocked the attacks and your last one hit, so I returned it with my own."

"You're lying!"

"Touka, why are you yelling so loud?" A voice spoke up from the dojo, everyone turning to see a man dressed in a martial arts uniform similar to the girl's. His black hair was long, tied back to keep it out of his hazel eyes. He'd then rub his eyes to see everyone, looking amongst the women before his eyes landed on Artorian, the hybrid giving him a tired stare.

"Oh… you guys are early."

"We're late." He said, shaking the girl in his grasp as he stared at him. "So, a new pupil?"

"You sound jealous."

"A young girl pupil."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, don't go there." The man warned, pointing at the hybrid. "Touka's my niece, I have more tack then that."

"That doesn't sound encourag-!" Artorian's eyes then widened as the man's words registered in his mind, looking back and forth between the man and Touka as he processed everything.

.

.

.

"…Artori-ah!" Sakura was about to speak up, but jumped back in fear as Artorian threw the redhead at the man, hitting him in the chest and knocking them onto the ground.

"You damn idiots!"

"Hey, watch it you little shit!" The man shouted as he sat up, Touka squeaking as she fell off him onto the wooden floor of the dojo. "That stung!"

"Like I give two shits Bastard!"

"Watch your tone! You should know better than to speak to me like that!" The man growled, him and Artorian butting heads as they reached each other.

"I'll talk however I want Bastard! You have a lot of explaining to do!"

"Show some respect for your master punk! I'm the reason you can even fight worth half a damn!"

"I guess this is one of the bad terms he was talking about." Claire said, everyone staring in confusion at the two men pushing their foreheads against each other with fury in their eyes.

"Nah, Shinsho says this is just how they communicate." Touka said, skipping past the two to reach the group. "Sorry, I should better introduce myself. My name is Touka Kenzaki, Shinsho is Ryusei Kenzaki; my uncle and Artorian's former mentor."

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you." Emilia said, smiling as she shook the girl's hand. "My name's Emile Crossfode, I'm Artorian's partner on Little Garden."

"And I'm Claire Harvey, his commander." The blonde introduced herself.

"Huh, Shinsho said he'd probably have women around him, but neither of you feel right." Touka said, tilting her head as she looked to all of them. "None of you do."

"Um… what do you mean by "feel right"." Sakura asked.

"None of you feel like Vessels, obviously."

"TOUKA!"

* * *

 **(A/N): Boom, didn't take a month! This chapter took a bit longer to write then I hoped but I'm glad I didn't keep you waiting a month for another update. Just had a few gaps in thought on where to go with certain parts so I worked through it the best I could. Although I still enjoyed the chapter and finally got to introduce two characters I like.**

 **Yeah, sorry if anyone was expecting something different, but Touka and Ryusei were the ones I was waiting to introduce. But I really liked the characters and have had plans for them since I got invested in Abysswalker. Touka's changed a bit, but Ryusei is more or less the exact way I had him planned for awhile now. I also just really like the dynamic of the characters, Ryusei's a fun character to bring up and as I've stated a few times before for others I felt Touka's role in canon was kinda wasted on what it could be.**

 **But luckily I've thought up a few good ways of getting the character to develop, and there's a few changes to her character that I felt was necessary based on the discomfort I felt reading Hundred. Mainly her age, it felt very uncomfortable to me she was 13, so unceremoniously I'll say she's 15 in Abysswalker. It doesn't feel like an important detail to point out in story, so I leave it in the A/N so that it's known. Just something to quickly point out without ruining the pacing.**

 **But with this chapter out I can get to the next one, where I can not only get to a few scenes I've been waiting to write but also introduce a character that's gotten me excited. And no need to worry, this one is an original character, not in canon of Hundred so you'll get a new experience. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next. Peace!**


End file.
